Rep. Ann Bollin of Brighton Township today helped the Michigan Legislature approve a bipartisan budget plan protecting schools and local governments in the current fiscal year — despite unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and the resulting economic slowdown.

“Even during the most difficult of times, our state budget must reflect and support our shared top priorities,” said Bollin, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This bipartisan agreement does just that by supporting our schools and local governments in Livingston County and across Michigan.”

The agreement overwhelmingly approved today in the Legislature uses a mix of savings and already available federal COVID-19 relief funds to address response activities, equaling or more than offsetting reductions in state aid to education and local governments.

“This plan provides much-needed certainty for the schools educating our children and the local governments providing essential services we all rely on every day,” Bollin said.

The agreement erases a $2.2 billion shortfall to balance the current fiscal year budget. The state will use $350 million from its ‘rainy day’ stabilization fund – which Bollin noted has been built up over the past several years by the Legislature to be used in case of budget emergencies just like the one Michigan is facing today. The plan also relies on $460 million in savings and efficiencies, and the use of already available federal COVID relief funds to ensure budget certainty.

“We still face major challenges for the next budget year that begins Oct. 1 – so our work is far from done,” Bollin said. “But today, we worked together to take an important and necessary step to move Michigan forward and through COVID.”

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