Budget includes funding to support public safety, protect natural resources, improve housing, and more
LANSING, Mich. (July 12, 2023) — Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp) and the Michigan Legislature recently passed the 2024 state budget, including over $20 million in funding secured to support local residents and communities in Senate District 14. The budget bills were House Bill 4437, which includes funding for all state departments for 2024, and Senate Bill 173, which covers school funding for the upcoming school year. Both bills passed the Senate with bipartisan support and were given immediate effect.
“I worked hard on this budget and am proud to have voted for resources to support the people of Michigan. I’m excited about the extensive impact it will have on our state and my district,” said Sen. Shink. “This budget enabled us to do things differently and look toward a more equitable future for all residents. In particular, I am proud to deliver support for local seniors, improvements to provide better and safer housing, public safety investments, protections for our natural resources, infrastructure for some of our small, rural townships, and money for some of the economic and recreational flagships of our district, like MIS and the Jackson County Fair.”
The budget funding Sen. Shink helped secure for her district includes money to:
- Support the Washtenaw Conservation District’s work to bridge the gap between farmland owners and seekers through the launch of a pilot program, Mi FarmLink.
- Expand minority-owned businesses in food and agriculture industries across the state.
- Fund construction of a two-story multi-purpose resource center to replace the aging Dexter Senior Center. The new facility will provide additional capacity for wellness, education, information and referral, advocacy, and case management spaces.
- Complete the Village of Grass Lake Pedestrian Railway Crossing.
- Provide additional funding for supportive services and resident-determined housing needs in Jackson and Ann Arbor.
- Establish a new Federally Qualified Health Center operated by Hamilton Community Health Network to serve the Whitmore Lake community.
- Provide weatherization and home improvement grants through the Jackson Community Action Agency.
- Support costs of security and other improvement projects at the district court in Washtenaw County.
- Invest in Ann Arbor’s solar energy installation project.
- Allocate traffic control services provided to the Michigan International Speedway.
- Replace playground infrastructure with all-abilities inclusive equipment at Swain Memorial Park in Brooklyn.
- Make upgrades at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.
- Complete maintenance of state water trails, including the Huron River Water Trail.
In addition to the wins for her local district, Sen. Shink was pivotal in securing significant investments for innovative programs such as a peer-led reentry pilot program with Nation Outside and funding for Mama’s Mobile Milk, a milk delivery program to address maternal/infant separation due to NICU hospitalization, temporary foster care, custodial issues, and incarceration. The budget also includes funding for recruitment and retention bonuses for Corrections Officers in Senate District 14 and in facilities around the state to help combat the turnover challenges in the industry.
###