Dems Have New Plan About Office Furniture

House Democrats have unveiled plans to transfer $22 million from a controversial state furniture contract to local schools and place a $1 million cap on state office furniture spending. Democratic leader Tim Greimel says the proposals are a response to revelations that Snyder administration officials and his controversial NERD fund intervened in the midst of the state’s fiscal year 2012 budget crisis to protect the Governor’s cousin, George Snyder, and major financial contributor Haworth Inc. from what could have been a multimillion-dollar cut connected to the state furniture contract. Among other things, the reform package would amend Michigan’s 2015 budget to include a $1 million limit on purchases of office furniture and require all high-level state employees, including the governor and his staff, to report their income, assets, liabilities and any asset changes affecting them or their immediate family.