GOP legislators fail to fund police, flood relief ahead of deadline
LANSING — After swapping the crucial time they could’ve been reviewing the budget for rounds of golf at various political fundraisers across Michigan resorts, Republicans let the July 1st statutory deadline pass without fully approving a budget for Governor Whitmer to consider.
When it comes to the many ways the budget impacts Michiganders — from supporting small businesses, to fixing roads and bridges, to expanding childcare and growing the economy– Republicans have apparently determined those provisions weren’t a high enough priority to address before the clock ran out.
Republicans lawmakers couldn’t even manage to fund the police before yesterday’s deadline as they ran out of time to pass budgets for local departments and failed to appropriate nearly $3 million for Michigan State Police. They also failed to allocate $10 million in emergency relief funding to help residents of Southeast Michigan following recent extreme weather and flooding.
Today is the beginning of the state Senate summer break and tomorrow is the beginning of the state House’s. Between now and September 13th, the Senate will only be in session for four days compared to the House’s six, only one of which overlaps — September 9th. A special session to finish approving the rest of the budget has not been scheduled.
“So we are clear, deadlines aren’t the same thing as suggestions. Republicans understand very well how much it impacts their constituents to arbitrarily move the goalposts on funding local police, roads, and supporting small businesses,” said Lavora Barnes, MDP Chair. “Simply put, Republicans in the legislature have no valid excuse. They set this July 1st statutory deadline themselves and have had ample time to submit a budget in its entirety to the Governor’s desk. After using two out of the three final days they should’ve used to pass a budget to instead golf at political fundraisers, the GOP made it loud and clear that the only financial security they are concerned with is their own. Michigan families and small businesses can’t afford the continued irresponsibility Republicans are putting on full display in Lansing.”
