LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 10, 2025) — As the clock ticks and the start of the new fiscal year looms, Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) convened a roundtable for a candid conversation to set the record straight on where negotiations stand with Republican Speaker Matt Hall as he continues to play political games with programs Michigan residents rely on and fund with their hard-earned tax dollars.
“Since the start of this legislative term, Speaker Hall has failed to step up and act as a serious partner,” said Sen. Anthony. “Instead of coming to the table to negotiate a budget in good faith, he and his Republican colleagues have chosen to manufacture a crisis in attempts to push through an extreme agenda, putting politics and petty vendettas over the people we’re entrusted to serve. Budgets are about values, and the values reflected in the House Republican proposal are dangerous and destructive. I will always fight for a fair compromise, but I will never sign off on a plan that does so at the expense of hardworking Michiganders.”
Since the beginning of the year, Senate Democrats have stuck to the traditional schedule: sitting down with stakeholders to identify their needs, crafting a comprehensive proposal, passing it through the chamber in May, and coming to the table ready to negotiate a fair and timely compromise ahead of the July 1 deadline. House Republicans, on the other hand, chose a reckless approach marked by delays, budgeting gimmicks, and political gamesmanship. They waited to pass their education budget until mere days before the statutory deadline — then introduced an 800-plus page omnibus budget a month before the new fiscal year, ramming it through just minutes later with zero public input.
“Michiganders have made it clear: they want real solutions from their elected officials — not political games,” said Sen. Cherry. “Our communities, parks, and public safety officers need more support and stability — not the cuts and chaos proposed in the House Republican budget. Senate Democrats are focused on getting a budget across the finish line that invests in the people and places that matter most.”
The House Republicans’ proposal is a far cry from a fiscally responsible budget. Instead of investing in education, public safety, and economic development, their proposal mirrors the same extremist playbook the Trump administration is running in Washington: slash, burn, and blame. In an irresponsible attempt to appear as if they’re weeding out “fraud, waste, and abuse” in state government, the House proposal would:
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Exacerbate dangerous cuts to critical safety net programs by accelerating the phase-in of work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, meaning more residents will go without health care or food.
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Undermine the health and safety of Michiganders’ food by slashing millions for food and milk safety programs, as well as animal disease prevention and pest management.
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Make our communities less safe by defunding 400 Michigan State Police positions, while eliminating public safety grants and evidence-based community violence intervention programs.
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Threaten the futures of Michigan students by ripping resources away from schools to provide free lunch and breakfast, bolster literacy rates, attract and retain teachers, and more.
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Harm Michigan workers and stall economic growth by slashing resources for job creation services, cutting at-risk youth employment grants, and dismantling business attraction programs.
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Roll back environmental protections by gutting funding for air and water quality programs, cutting regulatory oversight of oil and gas production, and stalling the remediation of contaminated sites.
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Force communities to slash vital, everyday services such as public safety, local road maintenance, water infrastructure upgrades, and trash collection by cutting revenue sharing.
“While our Senate budget prioritizes compassion, common sense, and stability, House Republicans have proposed a budget riddled with immorality, imprudence, and dysfunction. Senate Democrats refuse to balance a budget on the backs of our state’s hardworking residents or gut funding for the critical services and programs that they rely on,” said Sen. Santana. “Michigan residents deserve better — and it’s well past time for House leadership to step up, do the job they should’ve done months ago, and negotiate a responsible state budget with us before we’re forced into a government shutdown.”
With only days before a possible government shutdown, the contrast between the two chambers could not be more stark. Senate Democrats are committed to delivering a fiscally responsible, balanced budget that uplifts Michiganders and delivers on their priorities. Meanwhile, Speaker Hall and his Republican caucus remain hellbent on intentionally sowing dysfunction, threatening to upend vital services and destabilize the state, all in the name of scoring political points.
To learn more about Senate Democrats’ budget proposal, click here.