LANSING, Mich. — Senate Majority Floor Leader Dan Lauwers on Friday voted to approve the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget plan, which increases funding for K-12 schools, reduces debt, invests in job training programs, and saves resources to provide tax relief.
“This is a historic budget for a historic time,” said Lauwers, R-Brockway Township. “Too many students and workers in our state have suffered over the past two years and our budget makes significant investments to both help students achieve academically and workers obtain new skills for new jobs. The budget also provides increased funding to continue efforts to improve the state’s infrastructure and roads, pay down long-term debts, and keep communities safe — all without furthering people’s tax burden.”
House Bill 5783 is the general omnibus budget and includes:
- $2.3 billion to help fix local roads and bridges.
- $1.7 billion to fix state highway roadways and bridges.
- $750 million to help local governments meet their pension obligations and free up more funds for critical local services.
- $325 million for a new state psychiatric hospital complex.
- $414.5 million to maintain wage increases for direct care workers.
- $110 million for the Going Pro and Michigan Reconnect training programs.
- $40 million for the Pure Michigan tourism campaign.
HB 5783 also increases payments to counties, townships, villages, and cities by 5% ongoing and an additional 1% one-time appropriation to assist local governments in providing vital services in our communities.
Senate Bill 845 is an education omnibus budget that features a nearly $2.6 billion increase in K-12 school funding and boosts the minimum foundation allowance to $9,150 per student. It also provides $295 million to address student mental health, $305 million in scholarship funding to help address teacher shortages, and $168 million in school safety grants.
SB 845 includes a 5% increase for university and community college operations, $300 million to pay down debt in the higher education retirement system, and $250 million in a fund for a new student scholarship program, details for which will be negotiated this summer.
Fiscal year 2023 begins Oct. 1 and lasts until Sept. 30, 2023.
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