LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Lawmakers have less than a week to pass the state’s 2026 fiscal budget and avoid a government shutdown.
Legislators missed the statutory deadline back in July, leaving schools and local governments uncertain as they built their own budgets without official numbers. Now, with just five days left, both the House and Senate have added session days on Friday and Monday to give negotiators more time to reach a compromise.
House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Brian Posthumus (R–Rockford) said lawmakers are determined to finish on time.
“It’s going to be done by 11:59 on September 30. That’s my expectation. That’s what our voters send us here to do. We’re going to do everything we can in order to get there,” Posthumus said.
House and Senate leaders have begun holding joint caucus meetings behind closed doors, the first sign of progress since the House passed its version of the budget in August. Posthumus added that while he isn’t directly involved in those talks, “my understanding is there has been some decent amount of progress.”
Michigan has faced shutdowns before, the longest lasting only a few hours, giving some reassurance that even if the deadline is missed, work will continue until a deal is made.
Rep. Greg Markkanen (R–Hancock) said keeping the state running is his top priority.
“There’s all kinds of top statewide talk about a shutdown. I do not want a shutdown. I’m not advocating for a shutdown. We want to keep the state open,” Markkanen said.
Lawmakers are also eyeing projects that could bring significant investment to the Upper Peninsula. Markkanen noted that funding proposals for the western U.P. could create “about 700 jobs…a big shot in the arm to the economy up there.”
Negotiators say the final days will be spent deciding which priorities to protect.
“A lot of it is talking about where do we stand, what hills do we die on and what hills do we not die on,” Posthumus said.
Both chambers plan long hours in the coming days as they work to pass a budget that funds essential state services before the October 1 deadline.
