MichiganRadio

Funding 'Pure Michigan' Tourism Campaign LANSING, MI (MPRN) -
The state Senate has approved a $9 million dollar budget to keep the Pure Michigan tourism campaign on the air for the rest of the year.

The Senate action appears to rescue the campaign as the summer travel season approaches. The state House is expected to concur with the Senate, even though the money will have to come from the cash-strapped general fund.

Governor Granholm says she's pleased there appears to be a resolution to continue the Pure Michigan campaign for the balance of the year, even though long-term funding for tourism promotion remains uncertain.

"I will accept whatever comes to me because, obviously any step in this direction is important," says Granholm.

The governor and the state's travel industry wanted to spend more on tourism promotion. The governor would pay for it with a new tax on rental cars at airports. She says that would place a lot of the burden on out-of-state visitors. The Legislature rejected that approach as a tax increase.

Republican Senator Nancy Cassis voted against a funding amendment to the campaign. She says it's the wrong choice when so many state services are facing big rollbacks.

"Pure Michigan is a higher priority than K-12 education, Medicaid, support of revenue sharing for police and fire in our local communities," says Cassis.

State Senator Jason Allen represents a northern Michigan district with a big tourism industry. He says tapping the general fund is a stop-gap solution until a permanent source of money for tourism promotion can be identified.

"This is a very good first step," says Allen, "The issues are getting into pressures on other parts of the budget - whether that be for health care, whether that be for universities, whether that be for education. We have to take a look at this as we have a limited amount of resources and this is a good first step to get us through for the rest of the year."

The state House is expected to concur soon with the Senate measure. There's no funding for the state's business promotion campaign. © Copyright 2012, MPRN