North Michigan News

State Representative John Roth has been appointed to several key budget positions within the Michigan House of Representatives. Speaker Matt Hall, representing Richland Township, selected Roth for these roles on Thursday.

Roth will serve as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and take on leadership responsibilities as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services. Additionally, he will be vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community Colleges. His involvement extends to being a member of the Medicaid and Behavioral Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources Appropriations subcommittees.

In response to his appointments, Roth expressed his commitment to improving financial management within state departments. "I haven’t had the opportunity to work on the state budget as a lawmaker, so I’m really honored to be given this responsibility to dig into how we spend tax dollars and find ways to make things better," said Roth, who represents Interlochen. He emphasized his focus on addressing issues within the Department of Health and Human Services: "There is so much financial mismanagement within the Department of Health and Human Services, which is especially disappointing considering how critical those services are to vulnerable people. I’m proud to be the one tasked with restoring fiscal responsibility to such an important department."

Roth brings experience from his background as a manager at a local marina and community leader. Elected for a third term in 2020, he represents Michigan's 104th House District covering parts of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, and Wexford counties.