LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan lawmakers returned to the House floor Thursday for a lengthy session, but the state’s budget process remains at a standstill.
The House met for nearly seven hours without moving forward on any legislation. House Democrats declined to vote on bills listed on the agenda, citing continued delays in finalizing a state budget.
July 1 was the statutory deadline for the legislature to send a completed budget to the governor’s desk, meant to give schools and local governments, many of which begin their fiscal year that day, more certainty heading into the fall. But that deadline has now passed without a plan.
“Unfortunately, the legislature blew past that July 1 deadline,” said Michigan Budget Director Jenn Flood. “The Senate passed their budgets; we haven’t seen budgets from the House yet.”
Flood said many local units of government are now forced to operate under assumptions about what funding they’ll receive, which can complicate planning.
“We passed this bill to officially move up the deadline… because when we can, it’s really helpful to give schools and local governments that certainty,” she said.
Negotiations between the House, Senate, and the governor’s office continue behind the scenes. Flood said recent talks have focused on infrastructure investments, job creation, and school funding.
While the legislature is currently split, with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans holding a narrow majority in the House, Flood said she believes compromise is still possible.
“We might come from different parties, but at the end of the day, we care about the same things. So I know we can get it done,” she said.
The state’s new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, giving lawmakers just over two months to reach a deal before more serious financial disruptions occur.
