FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
October 3, 2025
Contact: Denzel McCampbell, denzel@progressmichigan.org
The Budget is Here, and It’s a Mixed Bag
Final version is flawed, but offers some cause for celebration
MICHIGAN – On Friday, Progress Michigan weighed in on the final budget passed through the Michigan Legislature early Friday morning. The following statement can be attributed to Erin Lodes, research and communications director of Progress Michigan:
“After months of chaos and uncertainty thanks to Republican lawmakers’ petty political games, the state of Michigan finally has a budget. While it’s far from perfect, we are relieved to avoid a drawn-out government shutdown that would no doubt harm communities across the state. We’re also pleased to see that no anti-LGBTQ+ provisions or language targeting communities of color made it into the final version of the budget, and that the budget preserves school funding, including the popular, successful free breakfast and lunch programs that have helped keep K-12 students from going hungry.
“The inclusion of a hefty new tax on the marijuana industry is regrettable, especially when we know that the problem of new revenue for road repairs could easily be solved with a small increase in taxes on corporations and the wealthy—solutions that have repeatedly polled well among Michiganders and would make sure the needed funds come from those most able to pay.
“We also can’t lose sight of how much damage House Republicans’ pointless delay did to schools and local organizations that were left in limbo and tasked with planning for the year ahead without knowing how much funding they’d receive from the state. As glad as we are that this situation is finally resolved, we should never have been here in the first place, and the blame for that delay rests firmly at the feet of MAGA Matt Hall and his cronies. And we’re confident Michiganders won’t forget how House Republicans treated people’s wellbeing as a bargaining chip to score political points when it’s time to show up at the ballot box next year.”
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