KENTWOOD, Mich. — Less than ten days remain for state legislators to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown in Michigan.
On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited Hamilton Elementary and Early Childhood Center in Kentwood to serve lunch to students and call on her colleagues to get a deal done.
"We're working hard," Gov. Whitmer said. "I believe we will get it done."
The process of divvying up dollars to schools, state departments, local governments and more is typically done by July 1, the statutory deadline for the state budget, but disagreements between Whitmer and the Democratically-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate has led to a stalemate.
If a budget is not passed by the end of the month, the state government will shut down on October 1.
"First and foremost, it's in all of our interests to avoid a shutdown," Whitmer said on Monday. "I believe we will be able to do that."
While the governor did not say how a shutdown would affect state employees and public services, she said she had a "continuity of government plan."
In 2019, when Michigan's government nearly shut down under Whitmer's watch, nearly 30,000 state employees faced temporary layoffs, per the Associated Press.
Other services, including road construction, state parks and campgrounds, welcome centers and rest areas, Secretary of State branch offices, state harbors and historical sites and state aid payments to local school districts were also set to be temporarily ceased.
"We've got fewer resources to work with, so it means tough decisions," Gov. Whitmer said, referencing recent cuts to federal programs and budget deficits caused by Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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The future of free lunch: Michigan schools await state budget decision
Currently, there are three budget proposals on the table.
- Gov. Whitmer's proposal
- $83.5 billion in spending
- $21.2 billion for education
- $83.5 billion in spending
- Michigan Senate's proposal
- $84.6 billion in spending
- $21.8 billion for education
- $84.6 billion in spending
- Michigan House's proposal
- $78.5 billion in spending
- $21.9 billion for education
- $78.5 billion in spending
While Whitmer and the Senate want to specifically allocate funding for free breakfast and lunch for all students in Michigan, a continuation of the current program, Republican Speaker of the House Matt Hall says school districts should have the freedom to choose what to do with the money.
"School districts are going to have more money than they’ve ever had before and they’re going to have the autonomy to decide what to spend it on," Hall said in an August press conference, touting the House's spending plan.
Notably, the meals in Michigan served to low-income and lower-middle class students are supported by the federal government, meaning those will continue to be offered regardless of a state government shutdown and regardless of what the state budget will look like when it is passed.
Whitmer, who captained the creation of the free breakfast and lunch for all program, says she'd like to see it continue in its current form.
"I think it's important we designate dollars for lunch and breakfast. I think if we don't do that, we run the risk of some kids having access to meals and others not," she said.
"We will work through those differences and get a budget done, and I want to make sure it gets done right, and it gets done on time."
