The Michigan state budget agreement between Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-controlled Legislature is winning wide praise from diverse interest groups around the state. Among them municipal government officials, corporate business leaders and the state medical society.
The Michigan Municipal League issued a statement from it’s President Barb Ziarko of Sterling Heights.
“The budget approved by the Legislature makes significant investment in the people of Michigan and the places they call home. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell), Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland), and the Governor and her team, this budget will bring needed relief to communities, and improve their capacity moving forward.
“Some of the budget highlights that will help strengthen our local communities include:
$750 million to help underfunded municipal pension systems
$16 million to fund a 5 percent ongoing and 1 percent one-time increase in revenue sharing resulting in one of the largest increases in the last two decades
$75 million for blight elimination
$31 million for city and village streets
$94 million for local federal aid road and bridge construction
$30 million for public safety academy assistance program
$11 million for community policing
$3 million to fund economic development efforts in rural communities through the Office of Rural Development
The action of the Legislature builds on the positive momentum of previous investments in our communities. With billions in revenue still available, there is opportunity going forward to equitably invest those remaining resources to ensure Michigan is an attractive place for talent and supports thriving communities in ways that benefit everyone. We look forward to working with the governor and legislative leaders in the coming months to identify additional investments that support people and the places they live, work, and play.”
Business Leaders of Michigan, the heads of many of the state’s largest employers, is also “all for” the budget compromise, as outlined by its CEO Jeff Donofrio:
“We applaud the Legislature and Governor for reaching a bipartisan budget agreement that will help Michigan win jobs and new businesses, attract talent, support our students and teachers and provide opportunities for more widely shared prosperity across our state. We are pleased to see a number of public education and talent investments that Business Leaders for Michigan prioritized in our ‘Compete to Win’ plan incorporated in the agreement, including:
· K-12 per pupil funding increases, including additional equity funding for at-risk students and those receiving services through special education
· Funding for Michigan’s Future Educator Fellowship, which will help address the state’s teacher shortage
· New funding to increase the availability of afterschool and summer programming
· Funding to support voluntary school consolidations and infrastructure investments
· Funding for the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System and other underfunded municipal pensions
· Investments in post-secondary scholarships and worker training
“Business Leaders for Michigan also celebrates the $100 million for the Detroit Center for Innovation, the result of a partnership between Related Companies, Olympia Development of Michigan and the University of Michigan. This world-class research, education and entrepreneurship center – and more like it – are key for keeping our economy competitive on the global stage.
“Much has been accomplished with this budget agreement, including staying focused on investing in Michigan’s future and avoiding fiscal cliffs. Now we encourage policymakers to continue working across the aisle toward a consensus to invest more in economic development, particularly in funding shovel-ready site development and creating a sustainable funding mechanism for the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) fund. These investments are critically needed for Michigan to be more competitive and become a Top 10 state.
“We must keep the momentum going so that Michigan can compete to win.”
Also ‘on board’ for the budget compromise is the Michigan State Medical Society, representing doctors and other medical professionals. Thomas Veverka, MD, FACS, president of the Michigan State Medical Society, applauded lawmakers for agreeing to a budget funding an increase in Medicaid reimbursement for certain adult and pediatric primary care services.
“It’s wonderful when our lawmakers recognize problems and then work together to implement solutions, and that’s exactly what happened today with the announcement that a Medicaid uplift would be funded in this year’s general fund budget.
“On behalf of our member physicians across the state, I’d like to praise Governor Whitmer, Senate Leadership, and our state’s lawmakers for not only recognizing the problems Medicaid’s low reimbursement presents to Michigan’s patients and providers, but then working together to find and fund a solution. This now approved Medicaid uplift will expand access to care, supports primary care and physician practice sustainability, and most importantly, improve patient health, and all of that is worth celebrating.
“Now more than ever, patients need timely access to primary care, and today’s announcement that Medicaid reimbursement rates will be receiving a much-needed increase will go a long way towards ensuring that Michigan’s patients can access the care they need when they need it from the physicians they trust.”
