Senate District 13 Update

In this Edition 

• Legislative Updates
• Meet Up with Mallory Coffee Hour

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

$1.2 Billion in Supplemental Funding Passed
This week, the legislature passed House Bill 5523, a Fiscal Year 2022 supplemental funding bill that distributes $1.2 billion of federal money to a variety of state supports, including the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS), $10 million to Capital Outlay, and $250,000 to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Some of the highlights include:

• $367.3 million to increase lab capacity to implement and oversee expanded COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and other monitoring activities
• $300 million for recruitment, retention, and training grants to help health care facilities address staffing issues
• $150.8 million to support COVID-19 screening and testing to keep schools opening
• $100 million for early COVID-19 treatments
• $75 million for early COVID-19 treatment and testing sites
• $54.1 million for COVID-19 vaccine support
• $39 million to make nursing homes safer by converting multi-resident rooms into single rooms and improving air quality
• $29.7 million for COVID-19 mitigation efforts

Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Recommendation

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released her fourth executive budget recommendation, one that’s committed to making strong investments in education and putting Michiganders first by putting money back in their pockets and delivering on the issues that matter most to Michigan families.

The budget recommendation invests in the success of students and teachers, enhances Michigan’s economic momentum and supports our workforce, rebuilds the state’s roads, bridges, and pipes, improves the health of residents, and bolsters public safety.

At $74.1 billion ($14.3 billion General Fund), the governor’s recommendation represents a 6% increase from the current fiscal year, with departmental funding also seeing averaged proposed increases of 20% or more.

On the education front, she has also proposed a 5% increase in per-pupil funding, or $435 more per student, which equates out to funding of $9,135 per pupil, along with a 10% increase for the state’s 15 public universities (5% ongoing and 5% a one-time adjustment). The K-12 School Aid Budget would increase by 8.1%, with $1.5 billion set aside as financial incentives for teachers who agree to work for their school district for the next three years, in addition to $600 million proposed to be used for teacher recruitment.

Other noteworthy highlights of the budget proposal include:

• $279.9 million in General Fund money for roads ($150 million for critical roads, $66 million for climate resiliency and $60 million for rail grade separation)
• $488.6 million more for roads from federal and state revenues
• $9.2 million to graduate 50 additional Department of State Police troopers on top of 120 to be hired to deal with attrition plus $1 million to help diversify the ranks
• $500 million for hero pay coming out of the pandemic, including $50 million for first responder retention payments
• $50 million for electric vehicle rebates
• A new $1 billion investment in K-12 school infrastructure with $170 million available annually until the 2028-29 fiscal year
• $361 million for student mental health to ensure students with mental health needs can be identified and provided with the right support
• $13.1 million for the Department of Attorney General and Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) to investigate and prosecute fraud, plus $75 million to replace the Michigan Data Automated System blamed for much of UIA’s problems
• $325 million for a new psychiatric hospital campus to replace Hawthorn Center and Walter Reuther State Hospital
• $175 million to support a statewide judicial case management system as recommended by the Trial Court Funding Commission
• $115 million to modernize National Guard armories

With an eye toward the future, Gov. Whitmer has recommended that $52 million be set aside and put into the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, or rainy-day fund, bringing that to $1.5 billion — the most ever

As a reminder, the Governor’s proposal is not the set budget for the fiscal year. The Governor presents her recommendations to the legislature, which then heads to conference committees where the legislature will work with the executive administration to create a final budget to be voted on by both legislative chambers. Look below for a timeline rundown of the budget process:

You can also find this timeline on the Michigan League for Public Policy website.

Meet Up with Mallory Coffee Hour
On our coffee hour this week, we shared the Governor’s Budget Proposal. Next week, we’ll be answering any questions you may have, breaking down her recommendations, and showing you how the process works. You can tune in to watch next Friday, February 18th at 10:00 a.m. here.

Click here to watch the entire Fiscal Year 2023 budget presentation.

Submit any questions you have for Senator McMorrow to address during our LIVE coffee hours here.

As always, our office can be contacted at SenMMcMorrow@senate.michigan.gov or through our contact form on our website here.

Sincerely,