Michigan Senate Passes $509 Million Covid Relief Bill

Michigan health-care and emergency workers would get the bulk of a roughly $509 million coronavirus relief package passed by a unanimous Senate Wednesday night.

Senate Bill 690, the initial stab at how the state should spend federal CARES Act relief aid for its pandemic response, would provide a $3-per-hour pay bump to state “direct care” workers with a cost of $178 million. Another $100 million would go toward bonuses for emergency responders, such as paramedics, police, and firefighters, who provided aid during local governments’ pandemic response.

The plan to disperse the federal cash came as lawmakers are gearing up ...