FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 9, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist Proclaim January 9 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II proclaimed January 9 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in Michigan, celebrating the service and sacrifice of the more than 18,800 law enforcement officials in our state.

“On Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we celebrate the brave Michiganders who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve the people of Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “As governor, I’ll work with anyone to fund public safety and ensure our state and local law enforcement officers have the resources they need to protect families. Together, let’s keep our communities safe, reduce violence and crime, and fight for a brighter future.”

“Keeping Michiganders and their communities safe is our top priority,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “That is why I am so grateful to the men and women in uniform who have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving Michiganders throughout the state. Today, and every day, let’s honor their courage, sacrifice, and devotion to keeping Michiganders safe.”

“Law enforcement officers throughout our great state display their bravery and heroism each and every day to fight crime, ensure justice and work toward creating a Michigan where everyone feels safe and secure,” stated Colonel James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police. “On this day when we pause to give thanks to our nation’s police officers, we must also acknowledge the important role of our community partners in working alongside us, as well as the support of Governor Whitmer, who has invested over $1.6 billion into public safety since taking office, working closely with local leaders, law enforcement officers and community organizations to tackle a wide range of public safety issues.”

“The commitment of law enforcement officers goes beyond enforcing laws – they protect, serve, and build stronger communities,” said Nate Johnson, President of the Michigan State Police Troopers Association. “Every day, they make personal sacrifices to ensure our safety, promote justice, and maintain peace, all while fostering trust and accountability.”

“When we’re able to safely go through the day, lay down our head and say “Goodnight” to the world, we can thank Law Enforcement,” said Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson. “As a 3rd generation police officer, 32 years on the job, and the sheriff, it is a privilege to have a governor who recognizes a profession so vital to Michigan. To all those who are serving and have served in the past, Thank You!”

“Those of us who are in law enforcement, and protect and serve the various communities which we work, are always appreciative of those who recognize our hard work,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington. “However, we don’t do it for accolade’s or recondition, we simply do it because it’s all in the line of duty!”

“The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office is a proud organization,” said Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth. “We are proud to serve our mission. Our mission is to provide correctional, law enforcement, and support service excellence in partnership with our community”

“As Sheriff of Kalamazoo County and as an appreciative Michigander, I wish to extend immense gratitude to all of our devoted law enforcement personnel around this nation, state, and county who selflessly dedicate their lives to safeguarding our communities. Your unwavering commitment and sacrifices are profoundly valued,” said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard C. Fuller III. “Thank you for stepping up and performing an invaluable role to ensure community safety.”

“Law enforcement is the shield that protects our communities,” said Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt. “Their sacrifice deserves our deepest gratitude.”

“On this Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I stand proudly with our dedicated officers and deputies who work tirelessly to create a safe and just community for all,” said Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer. “They perform extraordinary acts every day to protect and serve, often without expecting recognition in return. While we strive to embrace accountability, compassion, and equity in our policing practices, we must also honor those on the ground doing the hard work of protecting us. In my first week as sheriff, I have witnessed my deputies save lives and work harder than anyone I know. Today, we take a moment to appreciate them for all they do.”

Michigan is committed to working with law enforcement officers and agencies to keep Michigan communities safe and improve our criminal justice system from top to bottom. The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration thanks these brave men and women for demonstrating unwavering commitment, integrity, and professionalism in their service to the communities they serve, often in challenging and high-risk situations.

Investing in Public Safety

Since taking office, the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration has made significant investments in public safety, investing over $1.6 billion into public safety programs across 6 bipartisan budgets to assist police, firefighters, EMTs, and public safety departments with training, equipment, recruitment, retention, and support.

In the most recent budget, Governor Whitmer secured:

• $75 million to establish a Public Safety Trust Fund to provide cities, villages, and townships with additional resources for police services and to support community violence intervention efforts.

• $25 million for lifecycle upgrades to the state’s safety communication system, ensuring this critical infrastructure supports state and local emergency personnel.

• $7.8 million for firearm injury and violence prevention grants, and community violence intervention services to reduce gun violence and save lives.

• $1.4 million to protect the State Capitol by increasing MSP’s capacity to safeguard those who work in and visit the Capitol and Heritage Hall.

Investing in School Safety

School safety has also been a top priority of the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration; an issue law enforcement continues to be strong partners in tackling. Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has:

• Launched Operation Safe Neighborhoods to reduce gun violence in our neighborhoods and schools, taking more than 675 illegal guns off the street before they could be used in the commission of a crime.

• Signed a bill adding $125 million in School Aid Fund money for Fiscal Year 2025, supporting per-pupil school safety and mental health in school districts across the state, and building on $450 million in investments in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024.

• Provided $27 million for both public and private schools to conduct safety assessments and critical incidence mapping, to ensure preparedness during emergency response scenarios.

• Dedicated $25 million for school resource officers.

View the full proclamation here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

January 7, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Announces Biden-Harris Administration’s $325 Million Investment to Expand Semiconductor Industry in Michigan, Creating Over 1,000 Manufacturing and Construction Jobs  

Michigan company Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) secures first significant and largest finalized investment in the state from Biden-Harris administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to create jobs, grow Saginaw’s regional economy

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Biden-Harris administration provided finalized direct funding of $325 million to Michigan-based manufacturer Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) to build a new facility supporting 180 permanent, advanced manufacturing jobs and over a thousand good-paying construction jobs. The direct funding was made under the Biden-Harris administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which is focused on bringing vital supply chains and good-paying, cutting-edge jobs home to America.  

“Another big win in Michigan! Today’s game-changing investment into Hemlock Semiconductor will create more than 1,180 good-paying manufacturing and construction jobs and help our state continue to lead the future of the semiconductor industry,” said Governor Whitmer. “Hemlock is a global leader and the only American-owned company that makes hyper-pure polysilicon, which is a crucial material in everything from phones to appliances to cars. By making it here in Michigan, we are bringing the supply chain home, saving manufacturers money, and creating cutting-edge opportunities for our workers. Let’s keep leading the future here in Michigan.” 

“Governor Whitmer and I are committed to bringing supply chains home and creating good-paying jobs right here in Michigan,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration and the Department of Commerce, this finalized $325 million grant to Michigan-based company HSC will do just that. This historic investment ensures Michigan’s place at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness in the semiconductor industry, fortifying our national and economic security. Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, HSC is investing here in Michigan to advance a low-carbon, digital world. Together, we’ll keep leading the world into a brighter future.” 

“Polysilicon is the bedrock of semiconductors, and it’s important we have a reliable source of this material to manufacture the chips that help support our economic and national security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS and Science Act, we are proposing to invest up and down the semiconductor supply chain and support domestic materials suppliers, like HSC, that are helping drive America’s semiconductor manufacturing resurgence and technological leadership – and creating quality jobs all over the country in the process.”   

“HSC is proud to be a manufacturing powerhouse for two vital industries of the future—semiconductor and solar. Bolstered by the CHIPS Act, we are planning for a once-in-a-generation investment in advanced technologies to continue serving as a top polysilicon supplier to the leading-edge semiconductor market,” said HSC Chairman and CEO AB Ghosh. “Our customers want high quality and sustainably made polysilicon. This finalized investment demonstrates that the Biden-Harris administration, Governor Whitmer and our Michigan congressional champions understand HSC’s unique ability to meet those demands and our crucial role in strengthening American interests. As the United States works to reshore critical supply chains, we hope to make additional investments.”    

“Michigan workers are the best in the world. We know how to make things well and with precision, and this major federal investment reflects that expertise,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters. “I’m thrilled that this funding I fought to secure is officially on its way to Hemlock Semiconductor to help expand its production of hyper-pure polysilicon and strengthen our domestic supply chains for critical semiconductor technologies, while creating thousands of good-paying jobs for people in our state.”       

“America’s self-reliance means bringing our critical supply chains back home from places like China,” said U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin. “And semiconductor chips are absolutely critical to Michigan’s economic security and America’s national security. This award from the CHIPS Act will allow thousands of mid-Michigan workers to access the middle class, protect our auto industry, and strengthen our domestic supply chains.” 

“This funding is a game changer for mid-Michigan. With it, we are making sure that Michigan will lead the world in manufacturing, and we are creating good-paying jobs for over one thousand hard-working families,” said U.S. Congresswoman Kristen McDonald-Rivet. “Hemlock Semiconductor has reinforced their commitment to our community with an investment that will pay dividends for generations of Michigan workers. In Congress, I will continue fighting to protect American jobs and make sure that we manufacture more here in Michigan, not China.” 

New HSC Production Facility  

Hemlock Semiconductor is one of the largest producers of hyper-pure polysilicon, a critical material for electronics and solar panels, and is the only one headquartered in America. In a growing global economy, HSC has established Michigan as a leader at the forefront of innovation and technology, with nearly every electronic device in the world containing HSC polysilicon. The production facility will increase HSC’s manufacturing capacity to support the semiconductor supply chain right here in Michigan.

Largest CHIPS Investment in Michigan 

The Biden-Harris administration’s CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has worked to revitalize domestic manufacturing, create good-paying American jobs, strengthen American supply chains, and accelerate the industries of the future. In just over two years, the CHIPS Act has directly led to more than $30 billion of advanced manufacturing projects in the United States, spanning 15 states. In Michigan alone, with today’s announcement, our state has received nearly $1.5 billion of investments in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. These policies have also spurred a historic recovery in manufacturing, adding 642,000 manufacturing jobs across the U.S. since 2021.

The funding represents the largest CHIPS investment in Michigan to date, and the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration is committed to keep bringing supply chains home to combat the negative consequences of offshoring chip manufacturing.  

While America invented the semiconductor, we now make up only 12% of the world’s supply of chips. In 2021, Americans saw the effects of offshoring firsthand with parking lots full of nearly finished Michigan-made cars and trucks, awaiting semiconductor chips from Asia. This national chip shortage also increased the costs of electronics and appliances, resulting in delays for families and small businesses across the states.  

By awarding $325 million to homegrown companies like Hemlock Semiconductor, the Biden-Harris administration is reducing America’s reliance on overseas manufacturing, ensuring supply chains start and end where they belong—right here at home. By building on a growing trend of more jobs and investments in Michigan, domestic manufacturers will be able to get chips for their products and families can go to the store or dealership to get what they need without delay.  

Ongoing Hemlock Semiconductor Partnership with State of Michigan  

Announced in February 2024, the Make it in Michigan Competitiveness Fund was developed to help companies leverage unprecedented federal opportunities made available through the Biden-Harris administration’s CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Infrastructure Office challenged companies applying to support workers with fair pay, good benefits, and skill development.

In addition to up to $325 million from the Biden-Harris administration’s CHIPS Act, the state of Michigan is supporting the finalized project with $40 million from the Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund to Hemlock Semiconductor and additional partnership from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).  

The state of Michigan has a longstanding partnership supporting HSC’s growth, including its September 2022 investment in Thomas Township. HSC has also collaborated with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Council on Climate Solutions, supporting a brighter and lower-carbon future in Michigan.  

Including the investments announced today, the Competitiveness Fund has invested $185.9 million, leveraging $961 million in federal funds, a return on investment of more than 5:1.  

“Today’s announcement of a $325 million investment showcases Michigan’s growing role as a leader in advanced manufacturing and innovation. Thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act, Michigan will be home to 180 new good-paying jobs, enhancing our state’s ability to produce critical semiconductor chips right here at home,” said Zachary Kolodin, Michigan’s Chief Infrastructure Office and Director of the Michigan Infrastructure Office. “This investment, paired with a $40 million match from the Make It In Michigan Competitiveness Fund, attracts top talent, supports sustainable economic growth, and ensures the technologies we rely on every day are built in America. The Battery and Advanced Manufacturing Challenge has leveraged $125 million in state dollars to pull down $630 million in federal funding. Michigan is proud to be a leader in bringing home federal investments that are making a real, positive impact in our communities.” 

For more information about the Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund and how to apply for funding or technical assistance, please visit www.michigan.gov/whitmer/issues/michigan-infrastructure-office.