1/02/2026

IRONWOOD - Michigan lawmakers are debating the cancellation of over $600 million in approved work projects, including a $1.2 million grant for Labor and Delivery Services at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. Republican Senator Ed McBroom noted that most canceled funding was already spent. He added that Aspirus Ironwood declined their grant after a nearby facility closed, but didn’t inform lawmakers. House Speaker Republican Matt Hall defended the cancellations, blaming the grant-holding department. McBroom confirmed the Ironwood funds are still available but require a law change for reallocation to other Upper Peninsula health providers. Governor Whitmer’s Press Secretary, Stacey LaRouche, called the House Republicans’ actions “cruel” cuts that “will kill jobs and raise costs.”