Minority Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee demands additional CREC due to predicted delays in the budget process and potential federal cuts
LANSING, Mich., May 16, 2025 — Today, fiscal leaders from both chambers of the Legislature and the executive office met for the May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC). The conference included revenue forecast presentations from experts at the House Fiscal Agency, Senate Fiscal Agency, Department of Treasury, the University of Michigan, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Although each of the experts differed slightly in their assessments of Michigan’s fiscal health, the analyses offered by each provided collective evidence of decline in state revenues.
In response to the net $320 million revenue decrease for fiscal year 2026 reported at CREC, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, state Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn), released the following statement:
“State revenues are still strong, and we cannot let those who seek to cut life saving programs for tax cuts use this announcement as an excuse. We must make smart investments in this year’s budget to support Michigan families and retain our state’s talent and young people,” Farhat said. “Michigan is in a global competition for good paying jobs, educational opportunities, and investments. I urge my colleagues to put aside partisan egos and come together so we can deliver real wins for Michigan.”
House Republicans have conducted a slow-moving budget process this year, concerning schools and communities throughout Michigan that a budget will not get done by the July 1 deadline outlined in statute.
“Between cuts at the federal level, dysfunction in D.C., and no serious desire from those on the other side of the aisle to get a budget done here in Lansing, I will be calling for an additional Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference for the first week of September,” Farhat continued.
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