Capitol News

State Representative Dave Prestin, a Republican from Cedar River, has announced his support for a bipartisan budget agreement reached last week in Lansing. The new state budget features increased funding for roads and schools, the elimination of certain taxes, reductions in government spending, and the prevention of fee hikes on hunting and fishing licenses.

Prestin stated, “The people of the Upper Peninsula sent me to Lansing with a clear mission: Get government under control and ensure that it works for the people. With this budget, we’re quite literally forcing state workers back to their desks and out of their pajamas. With only the House under our control, we knew we were never going to get everything we wanted. But we were able to hold the line and deliver big wins for the U.P.”

According to Prestin, every county in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will see an increase of more than 35% in road funding this year as part of a $2 billion statewide roads plan. Delta County is set to receive an additional $2.7 million for roads, Menominee County will get $2.4 million more, and Schoolcraft County will receive over $1.3 million extra.

Prestin added, “We were able to deliver a budget that included record per-pupil funding and the most ambitious road funding increase in a decade. Our plan ensures that every penny in tax paid at the gas pump is spent on improving our roads. Many people said we couldn’t get it done without raising taxes on working people, but we got it done and we ensured schools get the funding they need.”

The approved budget also includes measures aimed at reducing state government spending by eliminating unfilled positions within departments—what Prestin referred to as “phantom employees.” He explained that savings from these cuts are being passed on through tax relief measures.

“Going through the budget line-by-line, we realized that taxpayers were paying for thousands of jobs that the state never even bothered to fill. Instead, departments were using funds dedicated for salaries as slush funds,” Prestin said. “This budget cuts those so-called ‘phantom employees’ and passes savings onto taxpayers. We passed those dollars on by cutting taxes for working families and seniors on fixed incomes by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. We also stopped the Department of Natural Resources from forcing families to purchase recreation passports on each of their vehicles. We also rejected their proposed fee increases for hunting, fishing, and boating licenses.

“We delivered big wins that we can build on in the years to come. I am proud to support a bipartisan budget that puts people, not government, first.”