Whitmer signs Michigan budget bill, wrapping up bipartisan deal on funding priorities
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan budget into law Tuesday, one week after the state's fiscal year was to have actually started.
Michigan lawmakers were still working on the details of the long-delayed budget package when they decided to approve a continuation extension on Sept. 30. The budget was then passed by the legislature on Oct. 3.
Without a working budget or a temporary extension, the State of Michigan could have entered a government shutdown scenario just as the federal government began one on Oct 1. Congress is still at a stalemate with the federal budget, and many federal employees are now either on furlough or working without a guaranteed paycheck.
Michigan's budget includes money for fixing state and local roads, tax cuts that are aimed at seniors and working families, and funding for public safety, the governor's office said. There is also money set aside for capital improvements and infrastructure projects at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, financial support for recovery from the March ice storm in Northern Michigan, and a budget for the Pure Michigan tourism campaign.
And in a topic that was closely watched by school districts and K-12 families, the budget continues Michigan's program of free school meals for all students.
"You can do a lot when you take the time to evaluate state spending and set better priorities," Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said.
"While this budget cycle featured unprecedented challenges, it also provided us the opportunity to show the rest of the country what leadership can look like in divisive political times," Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said.
As part of the negotiations, Hall and Brinks agreed to work on passing bipartisan legislation by the end of December that is aimed at creating and retaining high-skilled jobs in Michigan.
The above video originally aired on Oct. 6, 2025.