MichMash: Reviewing the Michigan Legislature’s mid-2023 moves
Detroit News reporter Beth LeBlanc breaks down the state budget and the recent legislation that was approved by lawmakers.
At the half way point of 2023 and right before Michigan lawmakers’ summer break, we take a look at the state budget, the haul of legislation that’s recently been approved, and updates on some legislation that made headlines this year so far.
Detroit News reporter Beth LeBlanc sits down with MichMash host Cheyna Roth to help make sense of it all.
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In this episode:
- Unpacking the $82 million state budget for 2024.
- House approves $120 million for Ford’s Marshall EV battery plant.
- Recent legislation that was passed before the lawmakers’ summer break.
With Democrats having control of the House, Senate and governorship for the first time in nearly 40 years, there were learning curves according to LeBlanc.
“There was a bit of sorting through how to go about it, how unique everyone’s demands of what should be in the budget, so that was a bit of a sticking point,” says LeBlanc. “There were some concessions that were made for Republicans — all of those we don’t have a full picture on yet because we are still sorting through it.”
One of the biggest elements of next year’s budget is how large it is, sitting at $82 billion, which follows the trend of state budgets increasing every year.
“This was massive. Not only did you have the $82 billion annual budget, what they passed yesterday also included a $5 billion supplemental for the current year,” LeBlanc says. “So in total they authorized $87 billion in spending. Compare that to last year’s budget when it was $76 billion, so you saw big increases there. And there is a little bit of concern if these increases are sustainable.”
Listen to the entire episode using the media player above.
More from MichMash
- MichMash: Proposed state budget focuses on expanding access to education
- Electric vehicles, mobility trends shape the future of revamped Detroit Auto Show
- Detroit Today: How Juneteenth helps bring communities together
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