State Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) introduced legislation last week that would end nearly a decade of state oversight of Detroit, MichiganAdavance.com reported. The bills introduced on May 17 call for repealing conditions of the “Grand Bargain,” a controversial plan that used funds from foundations, corporations, unions and the state to protect the Detroit Institute of Arts and help the city dig out of bankruptcy. In exchange, the city placed restrictions on the city and created a nine-member commission of mostly unelected gubernatorial appointees to provide oversight of the city. “At the time, Detroit’s ‘Grand Bargain’ kept the city’s lights on and kept people safe during times of tragic upheaval in one of America’s great cities — but that time is over, and the state must cede control back to local elected officials,” Santana said in a statement. It’s not yet clear how much support the bills have in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
