LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan’s next state budget passed last week, laying out a $75.2 billion spending plan for October 2026 through September 2027. That includes special funding projects called Legislatively Directed Spending Items, or LDSIs.
LDSIs are submitted by lawmakers and heard in committee before being published for 45 days, a recent change under House Republicans meant to create more transparency.
There were originally more than 1,300 requests totaling in the billions of dollars, but lawmakers narrowed that down to 135 projects, totaling $125.3 million.
U.P. lawmakers applied for almost 90 projects, many of which were duplicates that had been introduced in both chambers. In the end, they were granted nine. Those nine projects will bring a total of $7,267,000 to the U.P. to fund road work, park upgrades, and a new emergency vehicle.
“If you look at all of our legislative asks for spending, we didn’t get them all, but we got some important ones,” said Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River. “They’re all infrastructure, cities, schools, entities and functions, nonprofit, that benefit the citizens. That’s where we try to bring this type of spending to bear, so that it has maximum impact on the maximum amount of people.”
The largest single item is $2 million for the city of Escanaba, tied to the upcoming expansion of the US-2/41 and M-35 corridor. Prestin said the Department of Transportation already planned to redo the intersection, and the extra funding will let the city replace sewer and water lines under the road at the same time.
“Once MDOT takes up that roadbed, the city’s going to be able to come through, dig up and replace the culverts and the laterals, which they’ve gotten incredibly good at, and get that project done while the road’s already open,” Prestin said. “One of the worst things that can happen is to have a new road come through, and then the city has to cut it open just to put in water and sewer laterals.”
Escanaba is also set to receive $350,000 for a fire and EMS ladder truck. Prestin said the community had already raised much of the money, and the state funding will cover the final push needed to make the purchase. He pointed to fires at Stonehouse, Moe’s, and the House of Ludington as examples that underscored the need for aerial firefighting access, particularly for downtown structure fires.
The Sault Tribe Housing Authority will receive $1.5 million for a transitional housing project. Prestin described it as a resource for people facing unintentional homelessness or needing short-term shelter between households.
“I think, at the end of the day, it’s going to be an incredibly useful tool for that region of the U.P., for a population that finds themselves in a short-term pickle and needs to get themselves squared away in a new place,” Prestin said. “This is really going to bring about some capacity where it’s desperately needed, for a population that’s geographically disconnected from basically all major areas that could host this kind of capacity.”
In Rep. Greg Markkanen’s district, R-Hancock, two elevator replacement and compliance projects will receive state funding. Lawmakers said companies capable of the repairs are limited and expensive to bring in. The state will give $600,000 total to Gogebic Community College and Bessemer Area Schools to cover the work and keep both in compliance with accessibility standards.
In Baraga County, the road commission will receive $682,000 for flood damage recovery in the L’Anse area, a project years in the making. Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, said the roads hadn’t fully recovered from the 2018 Father’s Day floods before being damaged again by spring storms last year.
Dickinson County will receive $1 million for the Waucedah Township Road replacement project.
The United Way of Marquette County runs a volunteer income tax assistance program each year, helping veterans, seniors, and low-income families with tax preparation. The group will receive $35,000 to help keep the program running.
Gluski Park in Marquette County is set for a $500,000 makeover. The park is slated to become a base camp for the 906 Adventure Team, which is receiving the grant to help fund the development.
“They’re a great organization. They help area youth be the best versions of themselves through outdoor adventure,” Bohnak said. “What they do is they take youth out on bicycles and set goals for themselves. It’s a great program.”
All U.P. representatives and senators are up for reelection this fall. Sen. Ed McBroom is term-limited, and Rep. Dave Prestin is running to fill his seat, meaning at least two seats will change hands, reshaping the region’s legislative lineup. Still, Prestin said lawmakers have already started identifying projects to pursue in the next budget cycle.
“I know one of the big priorities for us, U.P.-wide, is Mather Elementary in Munising,” Prestin said. “That school’s in desperate need of a major construction plan or an all-out replacement and school district consolidation. I know that’s something the senator, myself, and Rep. Bohnak have all been really taking a look at. We all toured that school, and we were pretty shocked at what we found.”
The LDSI funding will go out at the start of the next fiscal year, which begins October 1. The budget bills are still awaiting the governor’s signature.
