State departments and services across Michigan are facing uncertainty as officials prepare for a possible government shutdown, with potential impacts ranging from closed state parks to suspended school lunch programs.
The State Budget Office has begun contingency planning, though officials maintain it’s “too early to know exactly what a shutdown would look like.”
The situation stems from lawmakers missing their July 1 budget deadline, with the constitutional deadline to avoid a shutdown set for Oct. 1. As the deadline approaches, several critical services hang in the balance.
Al Pscholka, who served as state budget director under former Governor Rick Snyder, warns of both immediate and long-term consequences.
“Some of it is just annoying, right? Maybe state parks being closed, drawbridges being up,” said Pscholka. “If you’re dealing with state government, waiting for a business license or something like that, that may be delayed.”
However, Pscholka emphasized more serious potential ramifications.
“The bigger worry is this could impact the state’s credit rating. Credit rating agencies look very closely at things like budget instability,” Pscholka said.
Michigan’s last shutdown occurred in 2009, lasting a couple of hours.