Now that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has gone on a line-item veto spree, some $947 million in taxpayer money is unspent. Time is running out, but Whitmer says ‘all is not lost’ and there’s still an opportunity to salvage programs.
Michigan's spending
Posted inTalent & Education
Tiny school districts to Lansing: Stop acting like ‘middle-schoolers’
Superintendents in some of Michigan’s most isolated districts blame Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Repubican leaders for a budget fight that they say threatens their future and treats students like political pawns.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Governor’s cuts use people as negotiation tools
Being a leader is recognizing when you have made a mistake — and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a doozy by cutting funds for scholarships and for programs to help children with autism or seniors with Alzheimer’s. It’s cruel, and it’s wrong.
Posted inMichigan Government
Rural Michigan sheriffs fear layoffs after Whitmer vetoes road patrol
Law enforcement raises alarms after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer axed $13 million for a state grant program that has helped county sheriffs hire road patrol deputies since 1978.
Posted inMichigan Government
Here are the winners and the losers in Michigan’s new budget
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer line-item vetoed nearly $1 billion of the budget and shifted $625 million. Michiganders are left with a budget that advocates say will help make drinking water safer and preschool more reliable but college tuition higher.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Michigan minority-owned businesses left out in cold by Gov. Whitmer
Whitmer administration’s directives need to go farther for many Michigan businesses, especially minority-business enterprises.
Posted inMichigan Government
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 5 big asks for new Michigan budget talks
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants Republicans to fund five “key” priorities for a potential supplemental spending bill after vetoing $947 million from GOP budgets. Don’t count on it, GOP leader says.
Posted inMichigan Government
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer targets rural Michigan in bid to sway GOP on budgets
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used her line-item veto power to cut several GOP budget priorities in hopes of restarting negotiations. Rural Michigan is among the hardest hit.
Posted inMichigan Government
What Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's budget cuts and shifts mean to Michigan residents
No money for Pure Michigan and less for rural hospitals. More money for Medicaid work rules and water testing. How Gretchen Whitmer’s nearly $1 billion in changes could have a big impact on everyday residents.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Is it time to increase taxes in Michigan?
If Michiganders want quality services, higher taxes seem appropriate and perhaps necessary, writes a Michigan State University professor of economics.