The number one concern for Michigan families right now is costs. The budget proposes: 

• Rolling back the retirement tax, saving half a million households $1,000 a year    
• Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit (formerly known as the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC), providing 700,000 homes nearly $3,200 combined tax refunds   
• Taking the first step toward providing pre-K for all, saving families $10,000 a year and putting all 110,000 4-year-olds in Michigan on the path to a brighter future

I want to get our kids back on track. This budget recommendation continues our historic public education investments. Ranging from investments in K-12 Education to higher education and the workforce, this budget has something for everyone. Some major things to look out for:  

• The highest per-student investment in Michigan history for the fifth year in a row without raising taxes 
• Lifelong literacy funds to help students and adults build critical reading skills 
• Free breakfast and lunch to all Michigan public school students, saving families over $850 a year 
• MI Kids Back on Track, offering tutoring and other personalized learning support to every kid 
• Continuing the MI Future Educator Fellowship and student teacher stipends so we grow the teaching profession in Michigan 
• Temporarily lower the age for MI Reconnect from 25 to 21, expanding tuition-free associate degree or skills training to 350,000 more Michiganders
• Continue funding the Michigan Achievement Scholarship that we set up last year, lowering the cost of college by thousands for the vast majority of students and helping nearly two-thirds go tuition-free when combined with federal aid 

This budget recommendation calls for funding focused on keeping Michigan families healthy. We will lower costs for Michiganders who use insulin, because you shouldn’t have to choose between paying for your rent or your life-saving medication. We will also make sure Michiganders can start families if and when they’re ready to do so. This budget includes plans to: 

• Attract an insulin manufacturer to deliver the life-saving medication at a lower cost to folks who need it, saving them hundreds of dollars a month 
• Close maternal and infant health gaps by expanding the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program, which offers critical health services, funds support groups, and offers other supports to expecting Michiganders, new moms, and their babies 
• Fund Plan First, which expands access to family planning services, STI and cancer screenings, and basic lab services to 25,000 people, saving Michiganders an average of $2,000 a year 

Over the last four years, we fixed over 16,000 lane miles of road and over 1,200 bridges while supporting 89,000 jobs. We also replaced tens of thousands of lead services lines, improved state and local parks, and protected our air and water. This budget builds on this investment to: 

• Replace 40,000 lead service lines 
• Fix dozens of bridges 
• Install hundreds of electric vehicle chargers 
• Help families and small businesses lower their energy costs and switch to clean energy 

As companies decide where to expand production or shift manufacturing, we must work together to ensure that the answer is Michigan. Let’s make Michigan the place to be so more of our young people choose to stay, work, and raise their families here. This budget proposes investments in: 

• The bipartisan Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund to bring home jobs and projects building cars, chips, and clean energy 
• The Michigan Regional Empowerment Program to support the growth, development, diversification, and resiliency of regional economies, especially in our small towns and rural areas, through a competitive grant process 
• Funding for the Michigan Main Street Initiative to provide supports to start, grow, and expand small and micro businesses 

There is a lot to be excited about in the budget and the good thing is, we have momentum. In the months ahead, I look forward to working with my partners in the legislature to deliver a balanced budget that makes a real difference in people’s lives. Let’s get it done!

Sincerely,