Rep. Julie Calley today voted in favor of a new Michigan state budget investing more in roads and bridges, public health and safety and other essential services – without raising taxes.
Calley’s votes came as the Legislature completed its work on a new state budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. Last week, Calley voted to approve record-high investment in Michigan students as part of the same overall budget.
“Families in Ionia and Barry counties want to see greater investments in schools and road repairs without having to shell out more in taxes,” said Calley, of Portland. “We’ve sent the governor a budget that provides an additional $400 million for roads and bridges while still pumping record resources into schools and other essential services.”
In total, Michigan is projected to spend well over $5 billion on its Transportation Department in the upcoming fiscal year – the most in state history. The state already is spending $1 billion more annually on road repairs than in 2014, and the investment already is scheduled to increase through 2021.
The Legislature’s budget also places a priority on:
- Public health. Another $120 million is dedicated to protecting drinking water against PFAS, lead and other contaminants. Funding to prevent opioid abuse and provide substance abuse treatment increases by more than $30 million. A statewide mental health hotline is supported by a $2 million commitment. And ensuring children receive quality mental health care by taking steps to properly reimburse Michigan’s psychiatric health care providers.
- Rural health care. This budget reverses previous cuts made to rural hospitals to ensure people in every corner of the state have reliable access to the vital health services they need. Sparrow Ionia Hospital will directly benefit from the restoration of this funding.
- Public safety. Eighty-six new Michigan State Police troopers will be trained. Statutory revenue sharing increases by 2.3 percent to help local governments maintain essential public services including police and fire departments.
- Support for corrections officers. This budget sets aside $16.9 million for the selection and training of new corrections officers for Michigan’s prison facilities. Recent studies have shown high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among prison workers. To help the employees cope, this budget includes $1 million to fund a mental wellness program.
- Veterans. Maintaining access to services is critical, so this budget continues investment in the state’s veterans homes. These facilities are sometimes the last line of support our military heroes can rely on and call home
- Eliminating government inefficiency. Efforts to right-size the judiciary have saved taxpayers more than $20 million over the past seven years. This budget reflects an additional $450,000 in net savings from the elimination of unnecessary judgeships.
The schools budget approved last week includes a record $15.2 billion for Michigan students, increasing the foundation allowance by more than $300 million – up to $240 more per student. Additional support is provided for special education, early literacy, school safety and career and technical education programs.
“The pathway to success for each pupil varies based on their strengths and interests,” Calley said. “This budget boosts funding for career and technical education so Michigan students will be better prepared for careers in high demand, high paying fields.”
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