State Rep. Matt Maddock, vice chair of the House Appropriations committee, today slammed the governor’s newly unveiled budget proposal following her office’s presentation before the committee.

“The governor calls this the ‘Saving Michiganders Money Plan,’ yet she’s proposing multiple new tax hikes,” said Maddock. “This is absurd. You don’t need to raise taxes on anybody when millions in wasteful and fraudulent spending are still sitting in the state budget waiting to be cut.”

Maddock emphasized that House Republicans provided the roadmap last year on how to handle this by cutting hundreds of millions in waste, fraud, and abuse and eliminating thousands of ghost employees in state departments during the budget process. “This approach is the only option and needs to remain the focus as we build next year’s budget,” said Maddock.  

Maddock also criticized the governor’s proposed property tax cut as inadequate given Michigan’s ongoing affordability crisis.

“The proposal does not go anywhere near far enough,” said Maddock. “Michigan families are struggling with affordability, and meaningful property tax relief needs to go much further than this.”

Maddock added that the remaining proposals are almost all repackaged House Republican ideas from last year and copies of Trump tax cuts that have already been implemented in Michigan. “Even the proposed school supply sales tax holiday was introduced by House Republicans last term,” said Maddock. “Now those same policies are being repackaged as if they are new. That is not leadership. That is playing catch-up.”

As the budget process moves forward, Maddock said House Republicans will continue pushing to rein in government spending, eliminate wasteful programs, and deliver strong tax relief for Michigan families.