LANSING, Mich.—
The Republican-led Michigan Legislature put the finishing touches on a $56.8 billion state budget Tuesday that includes a sizable increase in base aid for lower-funded K-12 districts, more spending on roads and extra funding to better protect schools from shootings.
The spending plan also closes a state prison and sets aside $100 million for Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s plan to link students with in-demand jobs. The two main budget bills won approval on mostly party-line 63-46 and 66-43 votes in the House and 33-2 and 25-11 votes in the Senate.
There are “great investments, but we’re also being very responsible with the investment of the hard-working taxpayer dollars,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Hildenbrand, a Lowell Republican. “It’s a reduction in spending over (the) current year. Because of the strengthening of the economy, more people are working and (there is) less demand on social welfare services.”
While majority GOP legislators touted record spending on K-12 schools and road infrastructure, Democrats criticized the lack of a special fund to compensate recipients of unemployment benefits who were falsely accused of fraud and faulted a provision that could lead to teacher cuts in districts with low-performing schools that do not improve.
“This might be a little bit bigger crumb than it was last year. It is still crumbs to be offered,” said Democratic Rep. Donna Lasinski of Scio Township near Ann Arbor.
Highlights of the budget, most of which will take effect in October once the Republican governor signs it, include:
