There are hints of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 2026 State of the State plans in the budget proposal rolled out by her administration earlier this month. The plan includes money to help kids learn to read, spending to reduce the impact of federal cuts to Medicaid, and new taxes on tobacco, vaping and gambling.
Jen Flood is Whitmer's budget director. She says the budget proposal reflects some difficult choices.
“Getting fewer resources from Washington DC, there’s a lot of questions regarding trade and tariff policy, but we can do hard things, and so the governor put out her balanced budget proposal and we’re going to work with Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature to get it done.”
Republicans have already said “no” to new taxes. There’s also bipartisan opposition to pulling money from the state’s “rainy day” savings to balance the budget. Last year, the governor and the Legislature missed the deadline for getting the budget done on time.
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