Dear Neighbors,
As the Senate Appropriations Chair, my role is to oversee and lead the creation of the state budget. Last year, I ensured our Budget for the People — the first crafted by Democrats in nearly 40 years — reflected the priorities of all Michiganders, especially those historically overlooked and ignored.
This year, Senate Democrats continue to build up Michigan with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State Budget, maintaining the transformational investments in both human infrastructure — education, workforce development, and social services — and physical infrastructure, including water systems and roads.
In this special edition budget newsletter, I am celebrating some of the local wins I secured for our communities in the Lansing area. I also cover budget wins that will have an impact across the state. Keep reading to learn more about the 2025 State Budget and how my Democratic colleagues and I are building up Michigan for a brighter future.
As always, if you or someone you know wants to provide feedback about what’s happening in the Capitol or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to my team at any time. You can email us at SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-6960.
In Service,
Sarah Anthony
State Senator
District 21
Building Up Lansing Area Communities Through Strategic Funding
The Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget builds on last year’s transformative budget by continuing to invest in children and families, students and workers, public safety, community development, and more.
I fought hard to secure significant funding to build up communities throughout Ingham and Eaton counties, including:
Ingham County
- Statutory revenue sharing increase: 13.7%
- Over $63 million in funding across Ingham County
Eaton County
- Statutory revenue sharing increase: 12.1%
- Nearly $11 million in funding across Eaton County
- An additional $16.4 million in funding to repair and maintain water infrastructure
Some of the projects receiving funding through the 2025 State Budget across Ingham and Eaton counties include:
Here is a more detailed list of wins I secured in the 2025 State Budget for Ingham and Eaton Counties.
Building Up Michigan Communities, Families, and Infrastructure
By passing this budget, my Democratic colleagues and I are reaffirming our commitment to building up Michigan. This budget is more than numbers on a page — it’s a strategic investment in our state, communities, and residents. We’ve transformed once-in-a-generation investments into our annual priorities, creating a moral document that truly provides ongoing support for the people of Michigan and builds them up.
Revenue Sharing Reform
The new budget changes how state revenue is shared with local communities, restoring funding to all Michigan communities — including 1,200 previously excluded since 2002.
The 2025 State Budget will return Michigan to the three-factor revenue formula as the way to distribute these dollars in a more balanced way. Under this restored approach, as outlined in Senate Bill 760, all Cities, Villages, and Townships (CVTs) would start to receive revenue sharing payments.
This bill also recommends a 20.5% increase to revenue sharing for both CVTs and counties, ensuring no communities lose out on funds under the new equation.
While the new formula will positively impact communities across the state by unlocking essential funds for CVTs, I’m particularly excited about the transformative impact it will bring to our own townships and villages.
Under this new, innovative and long-awaited approach to state funding for local communities, 14 of our local townships will now be given the resources required to provide residents the services they need, when they need them — from responsive police and fire departments, quality local water, sewer and trash services, and robust parks and recreation opportunities.
We have a responsibility to move our state and all of its people forward — from our big cities to our smallest villages and townships. The changes we have made ensure more of our state dollars go directly into the services we rely on every day.
Investing in Child Care and Universal Preschool
Supporting child care providers and working toward universal preschool are key priorities in this year’s budget. Here are some of the ways we’re making it happen:
- Higher Pay for Care Providers: Increased funding to raise hourly pay rates for care providers, including foster care providers.
- Improved Facility Inspections: Allocated funding for additional staff and resources to improve inspections and ensure child care facilities meet necessary standards.
- Support for Home-Based Care: Continued funding for networks that provide essential resources and support to home-based child care providers.
- Clean Water: Ongoing investments to test and ensure the quality of drinking water at child care facilities.
- New Providers and Classrooms: Dedicated funding for startup grants for new child care providers, classrooms and transportation needs for preschool students.
These investments strengthen our child care system and pave the way for a smooth transition to universal pre-K, ensuring all children have access to quality early education from the start.
Fostering a Safe and Clean Michigan
My top priorities are our community’s safety and well-being. This year, we’ve made historic investments to address critical issues mid-Michigan residents face, from gun violence prevention to housing affordability and clean water infrastructure.
Safe Communities — Gun violence has touched too many lives in our state and our Lansing community. In response to calls for action from our community, we have secured once-in-a-generation funding to tackle this issue head-on:
- Firearm Safety and Prevention: Support community-based gun violence prevention strategies and efforts aimed at reducing school violence, promoting new safe storage laws, and bolstering community safety.
- Data Collection: Improve data on firearm injuries.
- Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Provide training and technical assistance for new laws.
Housing Affordability and Homeowner Initiatives — Lack of affordable housing continues to be a critical issue for many Michiganders. Our budget includes key investments to ensure everyone has access to safe and affordable homes:
- Expanding Housing Stock: Gives MSHDA funding to increase the number of homes in the state housing stock.
- Creative Responses to Homelessness: Support unhoused veterans, fund supportive housing and homeless shelters, and ensure compassionate approaches to homeless encampments.
- Ingham Housing Trust Fund: Invest in affordable housing initiatives in Ingham County.
- Down Payment Assistance and Blight Elimination: Funding to MSHDA to help more people afford secure housing and improve our communities.
The Lansing area faces significant challenges with affordable and safe housing, leaving many community members in unsafe living conditions or without homes altogether. That’s why I prioritized substantial funding in this year’s budget to directly tackle the housing crisis in our communities.
Clean Water & Green Infrastructure — Clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental right. Our budget includes substantial investments to modernize and improve Michigan’s water and drain infrastructure:
- Lead Service Line Replacement: Ensure safe drinking water.
- Grand Ledge Wastewater Project: Upgrade critical sewer and wastewater infrastructure.
- Potterville Iron Removal Plant: Replace failing plant for clean water.
- Vermontville Water Improvements: Support major water system upgrades.
- Climate Change Mitigation: Implement green infrastructure projects.
Building Up Education and Workforce Development in Michigan
Building Up Michigan Kids, Families, and Education
This year’s education budget is the product of the knowledge, input, and experience of educators and education policy leaders across the state.
Where we spend our dollars is an important reflection of our priorities. It’s clear to me that this budget reflects our continued commitment to investing in the kids who have been too often overlooked–from increases in bilingual education to a record high level of funding for at-risk students.
I am proud of the progress we have made, and this education budget brings us one step closer to ensuring every student has the best education possible.
Senate Democrats are making transformative investments in the health, education, and well-being of Michigan’s children and families. Key initiatives in the 2025 state budget include:
- Comprehensive Educational Support: Historic funding for students, schools, and teachers, with targeted resources for small, isolated districts; at-risk students; bilingual education; Early On programs; and career and technical education.
- Free School Meals: Continuing to provide free school meals for all public PreK-12 students.
- Teacher Support: Investing in the student loan stipend program to retain and attract teachers.
These strategic investments underscore the Senate Democrats’ commitment to building a brighter future for Michigan by supporting education, health, and the well-being of every child and family in the state.
Supporting Education and the Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Colleges and universities play a vital role in shaping the future. Recognizing this, Senate Democrats have expanded the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS) program to create the “Community College Guarantee.”
- Great Start Readiness Program Expansion: Dedicated funding to expand the eligibility requirements for no-cost preschool.
- Increased Funding to School Districts: Additional resources to directly support students, teachers, staff, and other educational initiatives.
- Enhanced Financial Aid: Provides funding to cover community college tuition and fees for all students who meet MAS criteria with an extra $1,000 for Pell-eligible students, increases aid for college and university students to $5,500, and bases financial awards for 4-year college students on their total cost of attendance.
Thanks to these investments, we opened a pathway to free community college for all Michiganders, preparing a brighter future for Michigan and its workforce.
Building Up Workers
Senate Democrats are dedicated to empowering Michigan’s workers through comprehensive educational and training initiatives. The 2025 state budget includes significant investments to enhance access to education and career development:
- Community College Guarantee: Expanding access to free community college for all students across the state.
- Michigan Reconnect: Allocating $52 million to support workers returning to school for degrees or skilled trade certifications.
- Inclusive Opportunities: Creating more opportunities for veterans, returning citizens, business owners of color, farmers, and others.
These initiatives are designed to build a stronger workforce and a brighter future for all Michiganders.
Keeping the Momentum Going
I’m proud of the time, effort, and dedication my colleagues in both chambers and across the aisle put into passing this bipartisan budget. With Gov. Gretchen Whitmer having signed the budget bills into law earlier this week, I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the summer connecting with constituents and meeting with community leaders from around the state to discuss priorities for our next state budget.