This week I signed my fourth balanced, bipartisan budget that delivers on kitchen-table issues and doesn’t raise taxes by a dime. I am so proud of the work we’ve done – this budget invests in every student and classroom, protects public health and public safety, expands mental health resources, grows Michigan’s economy and workforce, and empowers working families and communities. It also invests in our state departments and employees, including allocating funding for a 5% raise across the board for all employees.
While we all keep working hard for our great state, I hope you take time to enjoy our beautiful Michigan summer. Whether you plan on visiting Pictured Rocks or the Sleeping Bear Dunes, I wish you all a wonderful rest of July.
 Governor Gretchen Whitmer
 This month, Governor Whitmer and the state legislature agreed on a bipartisan, balanced budget that makes critical investments into education, public health and public safety, the economy and workforce, and community development.
The budget makes substantial investments in state departments so they can function to the best of their ability. Some of the major investments include:
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Funding to pay for 5% raises for all state employees that go into effect on October 1.
- $23.5 million into the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) for employees and safety measures, including IT system improvements, staff break area upgrades, new officer uniforms, and more.
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$3 million into the Michigan State Police (MSP) for training and professional development, plus $9.2 million for a state police trooper recruit school.
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$10 million into the Office of Rural Development (ORD), which was established by Governor Whitmer in January 2022. This funding will help the ORD meet the needs of Michigan's rural communities, which include economic and workforce development, infrastructure, public health, environmental sustainability, and so much more.
Investing in State Infrastructure
The budget makes major investments into state infrastructure, through projects like a State Veterans Home in Marquette, to a new state psychiatric facility, and more:
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$100 million through the State Information Technology Investment Fund (ITIF) for critical legacy systems modernization projects.
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$98 million for State Facilities Special Maintenance infrastructure projects.
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$5 million increase (and 8 FTEs) for the MiLogin system enhancements.
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State behavioral health infrastructure improvements, including funding for a new state psychiatric facility and investments to address immediate capacity needs.
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Construction of a new State Public Health and Environmental Science Laboratory.
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Funding to support the expansion and adoption of single statewide Judicial Case Management system.
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Modernization of State National Guard armories and $34 million to replace the State Veterans Home in Marquette.
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State Fish Hatchery improvements, funding to replace the Great Lakes Research Vessel, and DNR equipment upgrades.
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66 new positions to enhance MDOT’s Design and Engineering Services, investments to replace state weather station equipment, and an investment in State Public Safety Communications Infrastructure.
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Expansion of technical assistance and coordination with local governments, including $48 million for water infrastructure projects, and $25 million support federal infrastructure law investments.
Supporting the Health of Michiganders
The budget prioritizes the health and safety of all Michiganders, including our state employees. Some of the highlights include:
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$325 million for a new state psychiatric facility complex, serving to replace facilities for the Hawthorn Center and Walter Reuther Hospital to increase inpatient capacity and improve efficiency of services provided.
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$10 million for student loan reimbursement for behavioral health providers.
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$30 million for cleanup of contaminated sites and to improve the ability to identify, assess, and cleanup sites of legacy contamination plus an additional $10 million for rapid response.
Historic Education Budget
Last week, Governor Whitmer signed the historic, bipartisan education budget. It will make the highest state per-student investment in Michigan history, invest half a billion dollars in school infrastructure, fund teacher recruitment, bolster school safety, expand mental health resources, and more.
Every kid in every district deserves to feel safe and supported in school, and this historic, bipartisan budget agreement will make game-changing investments to improve every student’s in-class experience without raising taxes by a dime. Some of the biggest investments include:
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An increase in base per-pupil funding to $9,150, the highest state per-pupil funding in Michigan history.
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$250 million for student mental health and well-being to ensure students with mental health needs can be identified and provided with the right support.
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Funding for school safety programs, including discretionary payments to districts for their identified needs, funding for school resource officers, and the implementation of cross-sector approaches to prevent mass violence through partnerships between schools, public safety, mental health professionals, and communities.
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Investments for educator recruitment programs, like $10,000 scholarships for future educators, $9,600 a semester stipends for student teachers, and expanded programs in school districts to recruit, train, and retain teachers from their communities.
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Pre-K education programs, including $34 million for the Great Start Readiness Program, which provides free preschool for income-eligible four-year-olds, and $7.1 million for early identification and intervention services for younger children through the Early On Program.
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Nearly half a billion for a school infrastructure and consolidation fund that will be utilized to help school districts build or refurbish classrooms, labs, and libraries, and the voluntary consolidation of school districts to improve student outcomes.
Michiganders get behind the wheel every day and road safety is vital – from the ground up.
This month we want to highlight the work of the MDOT Traffic Control Electricians.
The electricians are responsible for the lights and signals drivers see at intersections to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. By watching traffic patterns throughout the day and at night, the traffic and safety engineers and the electricians can adjust signal timing, by just a few seconds, to optimize traffic flow. The electricians will be updating signals, once installed, on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. This is expected to be popular alternative route when sections of I-94 are under construction.
By next year, all MDOT owned and operated signals across the state will be controlled and modified from a central office system in Lansing. This means the electricians and engineers can fix signals faster and get Michiganders safely from one stop to the next.
To learn more about the important work of the electricians or to find out how to become one, please visit the Michigan State Employees Association’s website or the State of Michigan’s employment page.
It’s time to reauthorize your union dues for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. All union members must reauthorize their dues payments or they will automatically stop. It’s easy to do and just takes a few minutes of your time.
To reauthorize your dues, go to the Michigan Civil Service Commission’s website and log in to your account. Once logged in, select HR Self-Service. Once there, you will select Pay and then Dues Payroll Deductions. From here, you can select the reauthorize button. If you have any questions, please contact your union leaders for more information.
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