LANSING — Coming off of the July 4th holiday, we wanted to make sure you saw how last week Democrats in the state legislature delivered, passing a historic budget. The budget, which will take effect on October 1st after Governor Whitmer’s signature, funds key priorities that will improve the lives of Michiganders across the state.
The landmark budget includes record investments in education, infrastructure, and public safety. It will bolster Michigan’s middle class by lowering the cost of health care, adopting a universal free breakfast and lunch program for public schools, and bringing good-paying manufacturing jobs back home from overseas.
Republicans, meanwhile, once again decided to play politics over delivering for their constituents. The vast majority stood vocally opposed to funding these overwhelmingly popular priorities, while at the same time providing no answers to Michiganders as to why they decided supporting education, law enforcement, and health care weren’t worthy of their votes.
Here are just a few key stories about the Democrats’ record-breaking investments that came out of the past week:
WILX: Michigan’s 2024 budget prioritizes mental health, school safety, clean water
- The Michigan Legislature passed its budget Wednesday night, allocating millions toward mental health support, school safety and clean drinking water.
- More than $57 billion has been allocated to state agencies and more than $21 billion has been dedicated to school aid.
Detroit News: Michigan lawmakers approve record $82B budget plan
- Michigan lawmakers approved an $82 billion budget Wednesday that will boost funding for K-12 schools and universities while using the state’s financial surplus to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on special projects.
- The plan’s supporters labeled it historic on Wednesday evening, saying it will bring generational change and a record level of funding for public schools.
- “We are creating a budget that is going to change the lives of so many students for a generation,” said Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, a former teacher.
Bridge MI: Michigan education budget has smaller-ticket items that may have big impact
- The most notable winners in Michigan’s $21.5 billion budget for K-12 schools will be the state’s neediest students, English language learners, children in high-poverty schools, and special education students.
- But with smaller amounts, the budget also delivers money to benefit teachers, Detroit schools and other local districts, campus infrastructure, community-based advocacy efforts, regional education nonprofits and rural districts. Those less-noticed budget items could have a significant impact on education across the state.
Solar Industry: Michigan Budget Invests Big in Clean Energy Transition
- The state budget makes key investments in infrastructure including advanced energy, which will add jobs to the state’s strong clean energy industry while improving grid resiliency, lowering energy bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- The budget supports implementation of key aspects of the governor’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, the state roadmap to economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050, to lead in the energy transition. Still, more work is needed to carry the MI Healthy Climate Plan forward beyond these historic state budget investments. The state legislature has introduced many bills that will continue to realize the economic gains that clean energy industries offer.
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