Michigan heads into 2020 with a months-long budget impasse behind it, but some analysts contend unresolved funding issues still need attention. Recently signed supplemental spending bills restored budget dollars from K-12 and higher education, public safety, and rural healthcare. Alex Rossman with the Michigan League for Public Policy says lawmakers did not act to save the 10 Cents a Meal Program, which pairs farms and schools to ensure kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s not all he says is lacking.
“Whether they’re in the Governor’s office or in the House and Senate, and whether they’re from a rural or urban area, whether they have an R or D after their name, I think we all should be able to agree that we should be doing more for our kids and that’s what these programs do. “
The supplemental spending bills added roughly $573 million in spending, bringing the Fiscal Year 2020 budget to $59.5 billion. It’s still more than $400 million short of the budget originally approved by the Legislature.
