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Dear Friend,

Last week I presented my sixth balanced executive budget recommendation. My proposals would lower costs, improve education from pre-K through postsecondary, invest in public safety, and ensure anyone can ?make it? in Michigan.?

As a former prosecutor, protecting public safety is a top priority. Too many Michiganders feel unsafe in their communities. No matter where you live, you deserve to be safe as you go to work, drop your kids off at school, and run errands.

safe

This budget proposal prioritizes public safety and aims to build a safer, more just state for all by investing in our communities, supporting our first responders, and expanding access to health care. Check out the details below.

Sincerely,

G Signature

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor

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Efforts to Reduce Crime

This year?s budget recommendations look to build on the $1.5 billion bipartisan public safety investments we?ve made since I took office. We know that these investments work. We have helped local departments hire more cops, firefighters, and EMS. Through Operation Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative part of the MI Safe Communities program, we?ve been able to take more than 550 illegal guns of the street, preventing firearms in the hands of people who legally cannot be in possession of a weapon. This year?s proposals include:


* $5.5 million for community violence intervention programs, a proven effort to reduce shootings and save lives.
* $10 million to upgrade Michigan?s safety communication system equipment over the next 5 years.
* $5 million in grants to local and county governments to hire, train, and retain more police officers, firefighters, and EMS.
* $5.5 million to hire and train 120 more Michigan State Troopers.
* Nearly $12 million to implement improvements to our justice system based on recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Reform Taskforce.
* $5 million to expand and bolster the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, funding additional enforcement teams to address complaints of unlawful discrimination.

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Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Care

We know that access to affordable healthcare go hand in hand with public safety. That?s why I?ve proposed nearly $200 million to expand our behavioral health capacity. This would open nearly a dozen new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics across the state to serve as many as 50,000 Michiganders with mental health services. We?ve also proposed $7.3 million to ensure that individuals experiencing behavioral health crises have access to the Michigan Crisis and Access Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We cannot open these new facilities without both attracting and retaining more behavioral health care workers. I?ve proposed we do this by:


* Investing nearly $12 million in supports for students and current professionals through continuing education and scholarship expansion.
* Allocating $36 million towards rate increases for Medicaid behavioral health care workers.
* Providing mental health services to our already existing first responders.







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