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Still no deal as lawmakers work on COVID spending plans

Michigan has federal COVID-19 assistance funds coming but no agreement yet on what to do with the money.

The state House and Senate appropriations committees started voting Wednesday on GOP bills to appropriate the money. But the spending bills come with conditions. For example, Republicans want to limit the governor’s authority to move money around within department budgets.

GOP Representative Ben Frederick said “That would be a step toward restoring the integrity and making these conversations far more fruitful because, at the end of the day, if two partners are getting together and one can simply undo the work of that negotiation, that’s not a terribly constructive relationship.”

The GOP plan would also end the mask requirement for children aged two- to four-years-old. The health order says parents and caregivers must make a good-faith effort to keep masks on children.