GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Burning the midnight oil, lawmakers in Lansing worked through Wednesday into the early morning hours of Thursday to pass the state's next annual budget ahead of their summer recess and a non-binding July 1 legal deadline.
Wednesday evening, the House Fiscal Agency put out its analyses of what would be, if signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a nearly $83 billion budget.
This would be an increase from last year's $81.7 billion budget, which had set a new record amid a large state surplus.
In at least one seeming victory for Governor Whitmer's administration, the conference report that was referred to the legislature for approval included the extra $40 million she requested in February to continue offering universal breakfast and lunch for all PreK-12 public school students in the state. If passed, this would bring the total for the initiative to $200 million in this budget.
When it comes to how local taxpayers could expect to see their money coming back into the community, the budget proposal - comprised of House Bill 5507 and Senate Bill 747 - includes funding for multiple grants and projects in the Grand Rapids area:
HOUSING
- $1.5 million for a non-profit in Grand Rapids for an affordable housing project
- $360,000 to a non-profit in Grand Rapids for permanent or shared housing for individuals experiencing homelessness
COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS
- $527,000 for Grand Rapids Civic Theater sidewalk construction
- $1 million to the Grand Rapids Public Museum
- $4 million to election centers in Grand Rapids, East Lansing, Ann Arbor and Lansing
HEALTHCARE GRANTS
- $250,000 to the City of Grand Rapids for mental health crisis co-response
INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS
- $2 million for a Gerald R. Ford International Airport control tower local match
OTHER
- An additional $9.7 million for the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans
- $4 million to fund a three-year Level 1 trauma recovery center pilot program with sites in Grand Rapids and Detroit
- $1 million to provide funding to the Junior Achievement youth programs in Detroit and Grand Rapids
- $3 million to install a solar array at the former Butterworth Landfill
- $4.4 million for Grand Rapids National Guard armory renovations
- $500,000 for a 1-year pilot program at Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Grand Rapids Community College and Macomb Community College to reduce hunger on campuses through the establishment of campus food pantries, campus meal plan credit donations and various additional policies
Additionally, local colleges would be slated to receive modest operations increases over last year:
- Grand Valley State University: $99,837,200 (2.5% increase)
- Ferris State University: $61,137,700 (2.5% increase)
- Western Michigan University $123,039,800 (2.5% increase)
- Grand Rapids Community College: $21,521,800 (2.6% increase)
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College: $14,889,900 (2.4% increase)
But even with such allocations in place, the plan hasn't come without controversy.
In the waning hours of the budget process, some in the education system raised concerns over parts of the proposed school aid budget.
The Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators drew issues with points including the lack of an increase in the state's per-pupil foundation allowance to schools, rejecting proposals from the House and Senate as well as the Executive Office to increase it.
"The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year provides no long-term funding relief and will lead to layoffs this fall and in the future, as the funding for our schools will not be enough to keep up with inflation, rising health care costs, and the ending of federal relief dollars," the association wrote in a message to members on its website.
Republicans in the legislature have been outspoken about what they feel is a plan that will take unnecessarily from teachers' retirement.
"Maybe the most offensive part of this plan is the broken promise to hardworking teachers, as this budget raids their healthcare retirement accounts to pay for pet projects," Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-Holland), a former teacher, said.
Democrats in the House, however, stood firm in voting together to agree to the conference report in the House early Thursday morning.
"Simply put, this budget delivers for the students, teachers and parents of Michigan," Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker), also a former educator, said. "And I put students first in that list for a reason: because that's what this budget does: puts students first."
The bills now go on to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for a signature.
The next fiscal year is set to begin on Oct. 1.
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