State House Republicans without advance notice Thursday muscled through a $20 billion dollar bare-bones budget, touching off a rancorous floor fight and setting up a showdown with the Senate Democratic majority.
GOP leaders said the two-bill package for education and other government functions would serve as a stop-gap spending plan if spending negotiations bog down heading into the summer or fall.
“This is a government shutdown prevention plan,” said House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.). Hall said the package would ensure funding for per-pupil spending, corrections and other critical programs even if future budget negotiations stall.
“This is the beginning of the process," said Representative Ann Bollin (R-Brighton), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, who noted the budget would increase state per-student funding. “This is what we absolutely have to provide. We don’t want our kids starving. We want to make sure they’re safe in school, educated and they have the resources. That’s what’s in this budget bill … It’s not a budget bill. It’s a prevention plan.”
Democrats opposed the measures as a ploy to gain the upper hand in budget negotiations months ahead of the deadline.
“This is setting the stage for a government shutdown,” said House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton). “Like, let’s not beat around the bush here. That’s what’s happening here. There’s a reason some level of critical services were kept to just make it easier for him to drag this budget out, to get political wins.”
The sudden unveiling left many lawmakers with little time to examine the details. State Representative Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) said the stripped-down budget left out critical programs that would be subject to future negotiations.
“They cut at-risk funding,” she said. “They cut school meals. They cut rural transportation equity with no conversation with the stakeholders. They are just adding to chaos when what Michiganders want is thoughtful, measured negotiation.”
The bills’ prospects are not promising in the state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.
“Is Speaker Hall anticipating his own failure to get a budget done? We haven’t seen a government shutdown in a long time, and there’s no good reason why he should be predicting one now unless he wants it to happen,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids).
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office declined to weigh in on the controversy. The spending bills are also linked to a measure Whitmer needs to close the books on the previous fiscal year.
