Supporters, critics clash over future of taxpayer funding for Rx Kids

(The Center Square) – Michigan lawmakers remain divided over the future of the state’s Rx Kids program as House Republicans continue scrutinizing the initiative.

The first-in-the-nation cash assistance program, which describes itself as “universal and unconditional,” has received more than $300 million in state and federal taxpayer funding since launching in Flint in 2024 and expanding to more than 60 Michigan communities.

Republicans argue the program lacks adequate safeguards and is a misuse of taxpayer dollars, while supporters say it is producing measurable improvements in maternal and infant health.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that the committee is currently trying to determine if the program is a good use of taxpayer funds.

“I can’t tell you that we’ve seen tangible fraud, waste and abuse, but that’s actually a premature statement because we’ve just started looking at it,” DeBoyer said. “What we’re really trying to get at is what parame...