Capitol News

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, and Speaker of the House Matt Hall have announced an agreement to pass Michigan’s School Aid and state budgets before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. The deal includes nearly $2 billion per year in additional funding for local and state road repairs.

The bipartisan agreement is designed to address key priorities for both major parties. It aims to lower costs for residents, reduce government waste, improve efficiency, and support initiatives that benefit Michiganders across the state.

In a statement, Governor Whitmer said: “Today’s agreement in the legislature puts us on a path to lower costs, fix the damn roads, and pass a balanced, bipartisan budget by October 1. I am grateful to Majority Leader Brinks, Speaker Hall, and legislators on both sides of the aisle for working hard to move this budget forward. In Michigan, we’ve proven again and again that we can work together to get things done by staying focused on the kitchen-table issues that make a real difference in people’s lives. Amid so much national economic uncertainty, I am proud that we are taking action to lower costs, cut taxes for seniors and working families, create jobs, fund schools, fix roads, keep people safe and healthy, and so much more.”

Speaker Hall highlighted efforts toward reforming state government processes: “We have an opportunity here to reform Michigan’s broken process and get much better value for the taxpayers,” said Speaker of the House Matt Hall. “There is still work to be done, but it is an important step that all of us are agreeing to implement meaningful tax relief for Michigan workers and seniors, bring transparency and accountability to the earmark process for the first time, and eliminate ghost employees. Government has grown far too much in recent years, and we need to trim the waste, fraud and abuse in Lansing. That’s how we can afford the real priorities of Michigan families – like education, public safety, and fixing our local roads and bridges. This agreement puts us in position to do just that.”

Senate Majority Leader Brinks emphasized improvements across several sectors: “The people of Michigan deserve a budget that makes their daily lives better — a budget that boosts education, improves roads, and protects healthcare," said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. "The framework we have agreed to reflects the priorities of Michiganders from every region, and while no budget will be a perfect product, I am confident that the final result we vote on next week will have features that benefit every resident.”

Lawmakers plan further meetings as they work toward finalizing passage of these budgets ahead of next week’s deadline.