This budget makes critical investments to improve lives and Michigan’s future
For the first time in forty years, Michigan has a budget that makes vital investments in the people that make up the fabric of our state: families, kids, workers, business owners, seniors and veterans.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony join Governor Whitmer, Lt. Governor Gilchrist, members of the Michigan House of Representatives and local first responders in Wyandotte at the signing of a historic budget for Fiscal Year 2024
This $57.4 billion budget, in addition to the $24.3 billon education budget, delivers on kitchen-table issues — uplifting families struggling to make ends meet by expanding access to affordable housing and nutritious food; providing students with the resources needed to achieve their full potential inside and outside of the classroom; making investments to ensure workers receive fair pay and have access to job training programs; fixing roads, dams and bridges across the state; improving water quality and protecting our state’s natural resources; and so much more.
Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony speaks about the transformative investments the state budget makes in communities across Michigan
“Budgets are moral documents and what they include reflect the values of our state. Our budget is the product of conversations and meetings with constituents across our state from all walks of life,” said Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “We have made historic increases in funding for schools, infrastructure, housing, and workforce development. We have reinvested in communities and programs that have been overlooked for far too long while remaining fiscally responsible and implementing unprecedented transparency measures. This transformational budget prioritizes the needs and wants of the people of Michigan — and that’s always how it should be.”
While the budget is full of innovative and equitable investments that will improve lives and our state’s future, here are a few highlights:
- Michigan Workforce and Talent Development, including support for college success supports and the successful, bipartisan Michigan Reconnect program, adult literacy and scholarship, building trades and more;
- Infrastructure, including one-time funding for the most critical road and bridge projects across the state, as well as support for improved transportation, water and environmental systems — plus transformative community investments in housing, municipal needs and more;
- Public Health and Safety, including funding for essential direct care workers to get a wage increase, fire stations to upgrade their equipment, local health departments and federally qualified health centers, support for gun violence prevention efforts, emergency alert system upgrades and community-based crisis response grants;
- Environment and Clean Water, including funding to replace lead service lines and rebuild old sewers, address forever chemicals in our water supply, incentivize renewable energy projects, make investments in clean energy and electric vehicle infrastructure that will create new economic opportunities and more; and
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, including funds to support the Racial Disparities Task Force and recently passed Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act expansion, as well as racial equity in community health plans, and grants to support business owners and entrepreneurs of color in agriculture and other industries.
Throughout the process, the Senate Democratic Majority prioritized the input of residents, communities and organizations from around the state, using those perspectives to craft this budget and target funds in a way to have the most significant impact on people’s everyday lives. Senate Democrats also stayed in constant communication with their Republican counterparts to ensure the budget had bipartisan support and met the needs of all Michiganders — regardless of political affiliation.
Additionally, for the first time, the budget requires state departments to publicly post the sponsors of no-bid grants, allowing Michiganders to see exactly where their hard-earned tax dollars are going and contributing to, making this the most transparent budget process Michiganders have seen in decades.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony — the first women to hold these influential leadership positions in history — celebrate the signing of the state budget at the Wyandotte Fire Station
“From the very beginning of our Majority for the People, we knew we wanted a budget focused on making it easier to raise a family, promoting safe and thriving neighborhoods, helping folks earn a decent paycheck while keeping more of it in their pocket at the end of the month and ensuring we can keep prioritizing the things that matter most to us here in Michigan,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids).
“To accomplish that, we fanned out across the state to talk with constituents, community leaders, labor and industry leaders, issue stakeholders — everyone we could to make this a well-rounded, pragmatic budget. These are more than just numbers on a page. This budget will result in transformative improvements in our communities and I’m incredibly proud that we have gotten it across the finish line with bipartisan support.”
Not only does this budget meet the needs of Michiganders today, but it also sets the state up for continued success for years to come. In the overall budget, $200 million was set aside for Michigan’s “rainy day” fund, bringing the balance to an all-time high of nearly $2 billion by the end of Fiscal Year 2024. This demonstrates the Legislature’s commitment to fiscally responsible governing and protecting our state from unforeseen future economic struggles.
The Senate Democratic Majority recognizes the importance of investing in the people and places that make Michigan the wonderful state it is. This budget is only the start to making Michigan the best state to raise a family, secure a good-paying job and achieve the American Dream. Additionally, these investments play a critical role in achieving these goals and will continue to make Michigan a place where everyone — regardless of their background or lived experience — can find belonging and opportunity.
Learn more about the FY 2024 budget, and other priorities of the Senate Democratic Majority, visit SenateDems.com/news or follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.