By State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township
There has been a lot of speculation recently about Michigan’s state budget and the role House Republicans are playing in the process and I want to set the record straight. Misinformation is being spread to make it seem as though drastic cuts are being made to schools and other core services. That could not be further from the truth.
The Michigan House recently took an important step to ensure that essential government services — including schools — remain fully operational while we continue working on the full state budget. The bills we passed were not the final budget — far from it. Instead, they were procedural measures to provide stability and prevent unnecessary fearmongering about a government shutdown. These “book-opening” bills ensure schools can confidently plan their budgets for the upcoming year, local governments continue to receive their revenue-sharing payments, and core government services remain fully funded beyond Oct. 1.
Let’s set the record straight.
One of the most misleading claims I’ve heard is that Republicans are making drastic cuts to school funding. The reality is we voted to increase the per-pupil foundation allowance — the base amount each school receives per student — to a record $10,025.
That’s a 4.3% increase over the current year — an even larger increase than what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed in her executive budget recommendation earlier this year. For comparison, the current allowance is $9,608. The governor recommended increasing it to $10,000, and we voted to raise it even higher.
This increase ensures that schools receive even more resources to educate and support our kids. Last year’s budget, crafted under full Democratic control, failed to include any per-pupil increase for the first time in many years. We are correcting that mistake. Additionally, we are fully funding school safety and mental health programs, special education services, and teacher retirement payments. These are real investments in our kids and their future.
Some have tried to stir up fear by implying that this bill was an emergency, and this vote was the final word on the budget. That is simply not true. Topics that haven’t been addressed yet have not been cut — they just haven’t been finalized.
The “book opening” bills we approved simply ensure that Michigan’s core government services remain fully functional after Oct. 1. That means prisons remain staffed and operational; the court system continues running smoothly; Michigan State Police officers stay on the streets protecting our communities; state veterans’ homes continue providing care for those who served our country; local governments receive the revenue-sharing payments they rely on to provide essential services like police, fire, and emergency response; and schools have the resources they need.
The budget process is far from over. We voted to fund these core government functions because that’s the easy part: we should all be able to agree they must not lose funding, even for a day. Now, with shutdown threats averted, we can move forward and start getting into the nitty-gritty details.
The House, Senate, and governor will continue bipartisan negotiations in the coming months, and I will keep pushing for a responsible, balanced budget that prioritizes services essential to Michigan families, businesses, and communities.
We need to stay focused on facts and work together to get this done. Moving forward, my hope is that legislators on both sides of the aisle will place their attention where it belongs — on crafting a budget that serves the people of Michigan, not on political games or unnecessary scare tactics.
State Rep. Ann Bollin serves as chair of the House Appropriations Committee. She represents Michigan’s 49th House District, which spans portions of Livingston and western Oakland counties.
