GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers have just one week remaining to pass a state budget before the midnight deadline on September 30, raising concerns about a potential government shutdown that could disrupt essential state services.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed confidence Monday during a visit to a Kentwood school that legislators will reach an agreement in time.
"We will work through those differences and get a budget done. And I just want to make sure it gets done right, and it gets done on time," Whitmer said.
House Republican Caucus Chair Ken Borton issued a statement Tuesday emphasizing his party's commitment to bipartisan negotiations.
"House Republicans continue to engage in bipartisan negotiations on the state budget. We understand the importance of getting something done before the Oct. 1 deadline next Wednesday," Borton said.
If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement, state services could face significant disruptions, including school aid payments and access to state offices, according to political expert Adrian Hemond.
Hemond noted "count day" for every public school is October 1, which would usually trigger school aid payments on the 20th.
"Some amount of state workers will be asked not to show up for work. We don't know how many, and part of the reason for that is whatever planning is going on inside the governor's office and the Executive Office for a potential shutdown, is not super transparent right now," Hemond said.
Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest, worked as a staffer on the House Appropriations Committee during Michigan's 2007 government shutdown under the Granholm administration. He noted similarities between the current situation and 2007, though with flipped control of the legislative chambers.
The political expert believes shutdown planning was more advanced at this point in 2007 compared to the current situation. Key steps that occurred in the past, such as forming conference committees to negotiate differences between House and Senate budget versions, have not yet happened.
"It's quite likely that we have a government shutdown in Michigan of an undetermined length of. Could be a couple hours, could be a couple days, God forbid, it could be a week or two, but I think that they're going to blow past the midnight deadline on September 30. I think it's almost certain. I'm hopeful that they don't, but not much," Hemond said.
The potential state shutdown coincides with a looming federal government shutdown, creating what Hemond described as a possible "perfect storm" of non-functioning government services.
A federal shutdown could impact airports, while state-level disruptions might affect Secretary of State branches and unemployment offices. However, essential services would continue, with prison guards expected to report for work and state police maintaining baseline public safety operations, as Hemond noted was the case in 2007.
Until then, questions remain about how many state employees would be affected if no budget passes by October 1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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