Most comprehensive budget in Michigan’s history reinvests in people, communities and public safety
LANSING, Mich., May 10, 2023 — The Michigan House of Representatives passed its recommended fiscal 2023-24 budget today. It includes the largest investment in education in Michigan’s history and substantial investments in workforce recruitment and retention, infrastructure, and public safety. Hundreds of millions would go toward local road repairs throughout the state.
“This budget reinvests in the people of Michigan,” said Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit). “The scale of the challenges we face — from crumbling infrastructure to pandemic learning loss, to high costs for parents and families — demand an aggressive response, and this budget rises to the occasion. I applaud Chair Witwer for her steady leadership in creating a fiscally responsible budget that puts the people of Michigan first.”
“This budget sets the priorities Michiganders asked for,” said state Rep. Angela Witwer (Delta Township), chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “We’ve invested in health-care worker recruitment and retention to strengthen our economy and shorten wait times to see providers. We’ve prioritized public safety by allocating funding to graduate a new class of officers to help keep us safe. We’re supporting the small local businesses that are the heart of our local economies. And we’re making these investments while preserving the largest rainy day fund in our state’s history.”
The School Aid budget includes a transformative investment in the Great Start Readiness Program to make preschool accessible for every student and provide free breakfast and lunch to every student in the state. It also supports the MI Kids Back on Track program, which provides tutoring to help kids catch up following the pandemic and mental health funding to address the youth mental health crisis. The budget would increase the school operations budget by 6.4% for a total of over $1.5 billion in operational funding.
“There’s no better investment than our kids,” said state Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park), chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Education. “Through this budget, we ensure that no student in our state goes hungry, every family has access to affordable pre-K, and the highest-need students in our state have the tools and resources necessary to be successful. I’m incredibly proud that we are finally achieving these goals.”
The budget includes major investments in lead line remediation and water infrastructure upgrades totaling nearly half a billion dollars. The budget would provide grants for renewable energy facilities, supporting job creation and climate resiliency, while devoting millions to help communities recover from flooding and other climate disasters.
“I’m so encouraged to finally be a part of a Legislature that recognizes the true danger our ailing water infrastructure poses to the public’s safety,” said state Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw). “The water crises in Flint and Benton Harbor should have shocked us all. We finally have a budget that provides the support these needs warrant.”
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