Legislator: Well past time for budget impasse to end

State Rep. Ryan Berman, of Commerce Township, this week joined colleagues in the Michigan Legislature in giving final approval to a plan restoring budget funding vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this year.

Nearly $1 billion in Legislature-approved funding was wiped through line-item vetoes before the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

A newly approved plan would restore the most critical of those vetoed funds – protecting children, seniors and communities in southeast Michigan. Essential funding for secondary road patrol programs throughout the state will mean safer neighborhood streets and local sheriff’s offices aren’t forced to lay off deputies.

“I’m glad we have come together in a bipartisan way and reached a final step in restoring the funding that people rely on their elected officials to deliver to them,” Berman said. “This took a lot of work and patience from both sides, but we needed to get this right to make sure people throughout the state would have access to key services.”

The plan also includes:

• $1 million for the Autism Navigator program helping connect families with services.

• $350,000 for a new autism intervention training program to help infants and toddlers with developmental delays.

• Restored tuition grant money for 17,000 independent college students.

• $10 million for school safety grants.

• $400,000 to bolster care for Michigan’s Alzheimer and dementia community.

• $10.7 million to improve pediatric psychiatric services

• Nearly $2 million to continue the fight against opioid drug abuse