LANSING — Earlier today the governor outlined his 2018-19 fiscal year budget proposal for a joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations committees. In response, House Appropriations Democratic Vice Chair Fred Durhal III (D-Detroit) issued the following statement:
“It is refreshing to see a budget from Governor Snyder that begins to put our schools, roads and communities first, but for too many working families these small proposals will do nothing to increase their stagnant paychecks or improve their quality of life. I'm pleased to see the Governor include proposals that House Democrats have championed for years – like ending the failed privatization experiment of our state prison food service – but I'm disappointed that he and Legislative Republicans continue to ignore the people who were falsely accused of fraud by failing to make them whole.
"Today’s announcement is just the beginning. For the last seven years, the governor proposes a budget, and Legislative Republicans quickly dispose of it, leading to a budget that is vastly different from the one that is proposed. I hope that this year is different and that we take advantage of the opportunity to show Michiganders that we are putting them first, not corporate profits or wealthy political donors."