Michigan will avoid a state government shutdown.
In a joint statement Tuesday evening, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks assured the public that government operations will continue Wednesday and that a new budget will be passed sometime “this week.”
The announcement comes just hours before the midnight deadline Tuesday to pass a new budget to avoid a government shutdown.
In the statement, the elected leaders provided no information about how the state government would avoid a shutdown without a new budget in place Wednesday, the start of the state’s fiscal year.
It’s possible a new budget is passed yet Tuesday evening or that lawmakers pass a temporary continuation budget, like the Legislature did in 2009 to avoid a shutdown.
As of 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Legislature has yet to publicly present a new budget. Spokespersons for Whitmer, Hall and Brinks did not immediately return a request for comment.
The leaders gave brief details about what will be included in the upcoming state budget.
Those items, they say, include a continuation of free breakfasts and lunches for public schoolchildren, record per pupil education funding, decreased taxes for working families, additional dollars to fix the state’s roadways and more.
“Tomorrow, state government will continue and work will go on in the legislature to finalize a balanced, bipartisan state budget this week,” Whitmer said. “We’re on the verge of making huge progress to fix our state and local roads, feed our kids at school, cut taxes for seniors and working families, protect access to affordable health care, and keep Michiganders safe in their communities.
“As drafting continues, I’m grateful to legislators on both sides of the aisle for their work and I am ready to conduct a final legal review and sign it into law after they send me the budget. Meanwhile, state government will continue providing uninterrupted services and all state employees will work tomorrow, getting things done for their fellow Michiganders. We’re almost there. Let’s get it done.”
Hall said they’ve made progress over the weekend to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” in government to fund the state’s top needs.
“House Republicans have been fighting from day one to restore school safety and mental health, eliminate ghost employees and bring the Hall Ethics Accountability and Transparency plan permanently to Lansing, and now we are seeing movement on these major priorities,” the Richland Township Republican said. “With these reforms, this agreement is going to lower the cost of government and give Michigan families better value for their tax dollars.
“We are working hard to draft these bills now so we can lock in this plan and get state government moving in the right direction.”
Brinks said the budget will be done as soon as the bills are ready.
“Michiganders deserve a state budget that puts their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to good use, and I’m proud that we will be voting on a product that secures free breakfast and lunch for kids, protects Medicaid, secures meaningful funding for families and communities while also delivering on roads,” the Grand Rapids Democrat said. “Residents can rest assured that we are working in tandem and share a commitment to getting the budget done as soon as the bills are ready.”