Big Government Defunds a Agency But It Still is Up and Running Collecting Union Dues

Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, "In Appropriations, we defunded that in an attempt to try to eliminate that organization."

Reps. Dave Agema and Dudley Spade are referring to the Michigan Home Based Child Care Council. The council is a government agency created by the Michigan Department of Human Services and Mott Community College to act as a so-called employer of the state's 40,000 home-based child care providers and business owners. The council has since signed a contract with a controversial government employee union called Child Care Providers Together Michigan. This contract has allowed the union to collect union dues from these home-based workers and employers.

"Given the fact that the Legislature cut 100 percent of the funding for it," Rep. Spade said, "where are they getting the money from? We'll be asking those questions."

Rep. Agema said: "If it's still operating, I want to know why, how, and where it gets its money from."