Horn backed the creation of the program and said he intends to take up legislation to continue it. Horn said he’s interested in creating other incentives, including one that could aid in research and development of self-driving cars.

“We know that we need to bring new jobs and migrate talent into Michigan to fill our talent gap,” Horn said.

Tax incentives are controversial, not least because the state remains on the hook for billions of dollars in obligated payouts to companies through at least 2030 — more than $6 billion alone for the now-defunct Michigan Economic Growth Authority, or MEGA, program that Snyder ended in 2011.

In Detroit, meanwhile, the planned District Detroit development surrounding Little Caesars Arena, built by the Ilitch family’s Olympia Development of Michigan, has come under scrutiny for not yet materializing despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies.

While recent efforts to create incentives have earned bipartisan support in Lansing, including the Good Jobs program, some on both sides of the aisle reject them as “corporate welfare.”

State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, voted against the Good Jobs plan two years ago while serving in the state House. She said creating jobs is important, but so is a broader discussion about how projects benefit neighbors.

She said she hears skepticism about incentives from her constituents in Detroit and Downriver during coffee meetings.

“How do we do economic development in a way that isn’t necessarily taking away potential resources that could be used for meeting some of the basic needs for the most vulnerable in our communities?” Chang asked, citing issues such as a lack of health insurance, clean water or affordable housing.

“I had concerns [about the Good Jobs program] the first time around,” she said. “Those concerns still exist, so I would really kind of have to look at the details.”

The Good Jobs tax incentive is one of several possible in a package the state will offer to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for its project to invest $4.5 billion to build a new vehicle assembly plant in Detroit and update several other factories, creating close to 6,500 jobs.

Chang has called on the company, the city of Detroit and the state to focus on protecting the environment and residents’ quality of life as the project moves forward.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hasn’t taken a public position on continuing the Good Jobs incentive. Her office said the first-term Democrat “supports the use of the economic tools at her disposal to attract and retain jobs in Michigan.”

During last year’s gubernatorial campaign, Whitmer indicated support for improving Michigan’s selection of economic development tools, saying in a campaign issue paper that “Michigan has unilaterally disarmed when it comes to fighting for and attracting good jobs over other states” during the past eight years.

War for talent

Horn raised the possibility of revisiting the Good Jobs program as policymakers recently debated the 2020 fiscal year budget, including money for business attraction and tourism promotion.

The Senate last week approved $102.6 million for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s business attraction and community revitalization incentive programs, close to $2.8 million less than what Whitmer proposed.

But the Senate also increased funding for the popular Pure Michigan travel campaign, rejecting Whitmer’s proposed $5 million cut to invest instead in roads and public schools.

And the Michigan Strategic Fund board, which approves economic development projects receiving state funding, last week created a job-training subsidy for companies looking to move to or expand in Michigan that have a need for training.

It won’t require new money: The MEDC said it will dedicate up to $10 million from its pool of current business development cash grants to the new Jobs Ready Michigan program, which will offset the cost of employee recruiting and help businesses provide customized, on-the-job training.

“We are in a war for talent across the United States, and this program will help us proactively assist employees that we are actively recruiting to the state of Michigan,” MEDC CEO Jeff Mason told reporters last week before the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved the Jobs Ready Michigan program.