LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) — With Michigan’s July 1 budget deadline approaching, questions are mounting over whether the Senate could take legal action against the House for failing to pass a budget. According to legal experts, that option is unlikely and would almost certainly fail in court.
Although state law sets a July 1 deadline for lawmakers to pass a budget, the requirement is largely symbolic. Quinn Yeargain, a law professor at Michigan State University, said there are no legal penalties if the Legislature misses the date, and courts are unlikely to intervene.
“There’s no court that’s going to order the legislature to vote on a particular budget,” said Yeargain. “There’s so many discretionary choices that have to be made when formulating a budget, choices that judges are not going to make themselves.”
Yeargain added that while the Senate could theoretically file a lawsuit to compel House action, there’s no clear legal remedy. “It would be virtually unheard of in any state in the country to have a lawsuit actually produce a vote on something like this.”
Still, Yeargain said the idea of legal action highlights the deteriorating relationship between the two chambers. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit against the House over its refusal to transmit passed bills to the governor, an unprecedented move that intensified partisan gridlock.
“The fact that we’re talking about a lawsuit really illustrates how much the relationship between the House and the Senate has deteriorated,” Yeargain said. “It genuinely seems to be the case that the Senate is dissatisfied with the House’s inaction, and that seems to straddle the party line to some extent as well.”
The ongoing stalemate has real consequences. School districts, which begin their fiscal year on July 1, are left in limbo without a finalized state budget.
“Not having a clear sense, especially with revenues being estimated to be down this year, causes more chaos for school districts as they begin to plan their budgets and begin the school year.” Yeargain said.
Lawmakers now face mounting pressure to reach a deal before the fiscal clock runs out, and before the uncertainty begins to ripple further into Michigan communities.