Michigan braces for projected $2B budget gap

(The Center Square) – Michigan will need to tighten its purse strings over the coming fiscal years or generate more revenue as new projections show it could face a $2 billion budget shortfall.

Republicans in the state legislature say this is something they have seen coming, but that state Democrats have been slow to act.

“These numbers confirm what we have been preparing for: tighter revenues and the need for continued fiscal discipline,” said State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township. Bollin serves as the chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

“Last year, we made the tough but responsible decisions to rein in spending, cut waste, and refocus taxpayer dollars on core priorities like roads and essential services,” she added. “We reduced pork projects, eliminated ghost employees, and began restoring fiscal discipline to state government after years of reckless spending by Democrats. That work matters now more than ever.”

January kicked off the beginning of the annual budget-making process for the state of Michigan. ...