In one of the most high-stakes political gambits we've seen in years, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has zeroed out the Pure Michigan budget for the upcoming fiscal year. All $37.5 million that the Legislature had approved and sent to her desk has been frozen...along with over $900 million in funds earmarked for roads and bridges, education and healthcare.
It's a bold maneuver for a Governor that had sought to increase the Pure Michigan budget by $6 million. The Legislature only approved a $2.5 million increase and didn't, in the Governor's mind, authorize enough for prisons and cyber-security. So, she took programs that enjoyed broad support and axed them to force Republicans back to the budget table.
One of the most successful Destination Marketing programs in the nation...held hostage by party politics.
Why am I not surprised?
As always, there is additional nuance to the story. Here’s this, from Pure Michigan’s Dave Lorenz: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIEDC/bulletins/263a933?
Posted by: Bill Geist | October 04, 2019 at 08:41