Lawmakers Return to Lansing After Missing Budget Deadline
Negotiations continued as House Republicans and Senate Democrats remained divided over spending, taxes and transparency, with no final agreement announced before the statutory deadline.
- For the second consecutive year, Michigan lawmakers failed to pass a state budget by the July 1 statutory deadline, with negotiations between the Republican-controlled House, Democrat-controlled Senate, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer continuing.
- Legislators wrote the July 1 cutoff into law in 2019 to help schools plan, though the state's fiscal year does not begin until October 1; a $1.8 billion financial gap complicates negotiations.
- Budget talks have stretched on for months, and while legislative leaders recently agreed to a framework, Senator Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, said "there are certainly a handful of items that I think are still sticking points."
- Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, warned that political delays leave districts guessing about hiring, while Jennifer Smith of the Michigan Association of School Boards called the delay "unacceptable."
- With the July 4 holiday approaching, legislative leaders hope to finalize spending bills, and House Speaker Don Scott said, "We have a budget," with voting potentially beginning as soon as Thursday.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Michigan Advance
Michigan Legislature again fails to meet July 1 budget deadline with a final deal still out of reach
State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) emerges on the Michigan Senate floor after hours of negotiations took place toward a final 2026-27 budget deal. The House and Senate were still working on a deal as of late Wednesday evening. July 1, 2026 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan AdvanceMembers of the state House and Senate worked on Wednesday to move the 2026-27 fiscal year budget process toward completion but did not meet the sta…
Michigan Democrats demand $40 million for migrants - will they hold up budget for it? - The Midwesterner
As state budget negotiations continue in Lansing, Democrats are pushing to include another $40 million for the Office of Global Michigan, an agency Republicans have repeatedly criticized over its migrant assistance programs. State House Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford, told The Midwesterner on Wednesday that Democrats are insisting on the funding as lawmakers work toward a final budget agreement this week. “They are trying hard to fund $40 million …
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