State Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, on Wednesday released a statement following the governor’s executive budget recommendations. The governor’s proposal includes a billion dollar increase to the state budget over last year, which includes over 800 new state employees and no additional funding to fix local roads.

“We’ve heard the governor is supposed to announce her road plan soon. I sincerely hope that’s what she decided to work on today instead of presenting her executive recommendation.

“As chair of the budget committee responsible for the transportation, including local roads and bridges, it was disappointing to see, once again, that there was no additional funding for local roads in this bloated 83.5-billion-dollar budget.

“We clearly have the money for local infrastructure in our budget providing that we reject the governor’s proposed additional programs. We’re going to ensure the things that matter most – roads, education, public safety – are taking priority over pet projects.”

Steele serves on the House Appropriations Committee, as chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Local Transportation, vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Insurance and Financial Services, and as a member of the Joint Capitol Outlay and Public Health Appropriations subcommittees.

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