Michigan Republicans Express Concern About State’s New Budget

by Scott McClallen

The Democrat-dominated Michigan House passed multiple budget bills for the fiscal 2023-24 year, sparking outcry from Republicans who say the roughly $80 billion budget – the most expensive in state history- is full of wasteful spending.

“This budget sets the priorities Michiganders asked for,” Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township and chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “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.”

The House’s $21 billion school aid budget proposes over $600 million to address youth mental health and support the MI Kids Back on Track Program to help students make up for pandemic learning loss.

The school budget would increase the school operations budget by 6.4% for a total of over $1.5 billion in operational funding. The House School Aid budget would include $150 million for school transportation and provide for cost-free preschool and cost-free breakfast and lunch to all students.

Republicans in the minority for the first time in 40 years complain the budget spends taxpayer dollars poorly. For example, the House Labor and Economic Opportunity budget includes $55 million to expand EV charging station access, $10M for the John Ball Zoo, $5 million for the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to support electric vehicles, $2 million for the Detroit Grand Prix auto race, and $2 million for the Max M. and Margery Fisher Music Center.

The budget includes $43 million for Belle Isle Park Infrastructure, an $8 million subsidy for Detroit’s auto show, and $3.5 million for three splash pads in Ottawa County and Berrien County.

The transportation budget includes:

$20 million for aerial mobility/ drone infrastructure projects including drone hubs, drone ports, and last-mile delivery.
$7.5 million for a Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit Tour project.
$5 million for Michigan Mobility Fund Platform.
$5 million for an inductive charging interoperability pilot project.
$5 million for a Michigan e-bike purchase incentive program.

The Senate Labor and Economic Opportunity budget bill includes $30M to promote Michigan as a destination for special events such as national conventions, conferences, or major sporting events, and $10M for automotive re-tooling & re-training.

House Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, voted against the $80 billion spending bills.

“House Democrats’ wasteful spending ignores the priorities of the people of Michigan, shoveling taxpayer dollars to unsustainable new programs, pork, and partisan pet projects instead of investing critical resources into education, infrastructure, and local law enforcement,” Hall (pictured above, right) said in a statement.

Hall said that Michigan should boost road funding instead of funding pet projects.

“Instead of helping our schools hire more teachers and provide a better education for Michigan students, this budget directs school funding away from the classroom,” Hall said. “And local police departments facing officers and equipment shortages won’t get the support they need to protect Michigan communities. This budget blows through the rest of our $9 billion surplus and gives taxpayers little to show for it on the services that matter to Michigan families.”

Rep. Sarah Lightner, R-Springport, said the budget trashes transparency measures explaining how tax dollars are spent, including information about the state’s pension obligations, road bond debt, and “hush money” payments.

“Democrats are going out of their way to leave the public in the dark, and that’s just unacceptable when dealing with taxpayer dollars,” Lightner (pictured above, left) said in a statement.

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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Matt Hall” by Michigan House Republicans. Photo “Sarah Lightner” by Michigan House Republicans. Background Photo “Michigan State Capitol” by Smpage09. CC BY-SA 3.0.