State Rep. Andrew Beeler on Tuesday voiced his opposition to Senate Bill 932, which Gov. Whitmer signed into law, expanding taxpayer-funded welfare programs beyond what hard-working Michigan families should reasonably expect.

“The goal of temporary safety net programs is to help families back on their feet, but Democrats are keeping people off their feet and out of work,” said Beeler, R-Port Huron. “Instead of helping people get back in the workforce as soon as possible, Democrats are letting recipients receive cash payments for a longer period of time. The people of Michigan want to help struggling Michiganders become and stay independent. Keeping people dependent on the dollars of hard-working taxpayers undermines the mission of helping people in need.”

SB 932 extends the time people can receive cash assistance through the Family Independence Program (FIP) to five years, a 25% increase over the previous four-year limit. The bill did nothing to crack down on welfare fraud, which has increased 210% since 2019, according to Michigan State Police data.

In addition to the time extension, Democrats increased benefit amounts in the latest state budget, which only balanced because of the Democrat income tax hike on every Michigan taxpayer. The bill continues Democrats’ efforts to reduce standards that ensure benefits go only to people who need them. Last year, the Legislature and governor passed a law repealing the asset test for food stamp recipients, which ensured that lottery winners and other millionaires couldn’t exploit the program and collect food assistance.