Rep. Farhat Champions State Budget with Major Investments in Roads, School Meals, and Health Care for Working Families

▩ Press Statement

LANSING, Mich., Oct. 7, 2025 — The Michigan Legislature approved the final FY 2025-26 General and School Aid budgets, HB 4706 and SB 166, after months of difficult negotiations. The budget protects critical health and human services in the wake of deep federal cuts, invests nearly $2 billion in road and bridge repairs, a historic investment in public transit, and continues universal free school meals. House Democrats fought to safeguard Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and funding for first responders while delivering a tax break for Michigan families by ending the tax on tips, overtime, and social security. 

After the vote, state Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) issued the following statement:

“This budget proves that when House Democrats stay at the table, we deliver results that make a real difference in people’s everyday lives. Over the past few years, families in Dearborn, Detroit, and across Michigan have felt the squeeze — every grocery run, every utility bill, and every mile driven on deteriorating roads has taken more and more out of their paychecks.

“That’s why the budget we passed makes meaningful investments to ease that squeeze: nearly $2 billion in roads and bridges funding, universal school meals, and stronger health care protections at a time when Washington, D.C,. gutted more than $7 billion from Michigan’s health and human services budget. We stepped up to protect Medicaid, keep hospitals open, and ensure kids can count on healthy meals at school. That’s what governing with working people in mind looks like.

“Too often, when people hear ‘infrastructure,’ they think only of potholes and crumbling bridges. But it’s bigger than that. This budget not only delivers the road and bridge repairs our communities need, it also invests in the classrooms where kids learn, the hospitals where families get care, and reliable transit so they can get to work. Those investments are the foundation of a strong Michigan. Even as federal cuts forced us to stretch every dollar, Democrats protected the essentials so families can count on safe streets, strong schools and affordable care. That’s the kind of budget working people deserve, and that’s what House Democrats delivered.”