Governor Whitmer Signs Budgets

Liz Gullett

Oct 01, 2021

On the campus of Lansing Community College, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the budgets for Fiscal Year 2022. When combined with the K-12 school aid budget signed earlier this year, the budgets total $70 billion. The newly signed budgets provide funding for the various departments, community colleges, and higher education. Due to Federal COVID relief funding, and higher than anticipated revenue, the legislature and administration had a sizeable chunk of additional funding available to appropriate this year. There was funding left unappropriated, and the legislature is anticipated to work on supplementals to appropriate those funds.

This year’s budgets focus on several areas, many of which are tied to helping the state’s economy as it moves towards a post-pandemic world. This includes additional funding to help more residents receive post-high school certificates or degrees and expanding low or no-cost childcare. Significant funding was also appropriated to help the state’s crumbling infrastructure and to help local governments prepare for climate change and extreme weather. Additionally, the budget makes a $500 million deposit into the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, bringing the fund balance to $1.4 billion, the largest in state history.

Governor Whitmer did veto some items within the budget and in her signing letter to the House and Senate, she noted several provisions that she believes violate the Michigan Constitution and thus won’t take effect. To read her full letter to the legislature, please click here.

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