budget

Michigan leaders decide where to spend budget windfall

Rick Pluta — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:57:25 +0000

There’s a tentative budget deal between Governor Rick Snyder and the Legislature’s Republican leaders.

It puts more money into savings, schools, and roads. But, it also delays decisions on some of the governor’s priorities.

A budget windfall will allow the state to sock away more in savings, provide a boost to schools, and come up with enough money to qualify for federal matching funds to pay for some road repairs.

But House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) says it doesn’t solve the problem of how to come up with an additional $1.2 billion for roads.

“This provides a solid down payment on our transportation needs. However, that’s all it is. It’s not a full solution. This is a down payment,” said Bolger.

Road funding is especially difficult with a Legislature that’s been opposed to higher gas taxes and registration fees.

There’s also no arrangement to take federal money to expand Medicaid eligibility.

Bolger says those discussions are ongoing.

“We’re going to continue our conservative budget based on existing sources,” he said. “We’re not going to plan for dollars or answers that aren’t there yet. So, Medicaid has not been answered.”

The governor says Medicaid expansion under the federal healthcare law will save Michigan taxpayers money, but Republicans in the Legislature are not on board.

Bolger says the governor and the Legislature are on track to get the new budget wrapped up by their deadline of June 1.

Michigan projected to get $542M more than expected

The Associated Press — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:06:10 +0000

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan could take in $542 million more in revenue than projected 4 months ago.

That's according to a report Monday from the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency. It's good news for lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder as they work to finalize a state budget for the fiscal year starting in October.

Senate experts say Michigan could have a $739 million surplus in the current budget year. The extra money could be used to boost spending, lower taxes or be socked away in savings.

The Snyder administration and economists are meeting Wednesday to agree on budget figures. The House Fiscal Agency and state treasurer also will put out revenue projections for the meeting.

Legislators aim to pass the next budget by June, though sticking points remain over Medicaid expansion and road funding.

Budget showdown at the State Capitol

Stateside Staff — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:26:11 +0000

Last week, we saw a flurry of voting at the State Capitol as lawmakers put together the next state budget, which is expected to total about $48 billion.

The Republican controlled State House approved spending for schools and colleges as well as a budget to fund the rest of state government.

The State Senate, also controlled by Republicans, approved about half of its budget plan with more votes scheduled this week.

The votes set the stage for negotiations between the two chambers in May.

House budget panel approves cutting 1,000-plus human service workers

Jake Neher — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:06:10 +0000

A state House budget panel is recommending cutting more than a thousand human service workers. The Michigan Department of Human Services handles things like child welfare and food assistance.

The subcommittee’s plan would also close the state’s three juvenile justice facilities.

Rashida Tlaib is the top Democrat on the panel. She says the proposed cuts are extreme.

Seniors rally against 'chained CPI' idea

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:46:17 +0000

Next week, President Barack Obama will present his budget to Congress.

There's a lot of speculation about what changes will be proposed for Medicare and Social Security.

Specifically, some analysts are focusing on something called 'chained CPI.'

Flint leaders look to emerge from emergency manager control

Steve Carmody — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:07:00 +0000

The Flint city council is expected to vote tonight on a plan that may set the stage for the city to emerge from state oversight.

The council will consider asking the governor to appoint a “receivership transition advisory board.”

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling says the board would guide the city after the departure of the emergency manager.

“This is an area of the law that we want to take advantage of,” says Walling, “We want assistance with our revenue estimates…with budget amendments.”

Lansing's mayor rolls out his proposed budget Monday night

Steve Carmody — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:57:00 +0000

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero will deliver his proposed city budget for the next year to the city council tomorrow.

The mayor’s proposed budget is expected to deal with a projected nine million dollar budget shortfall.

A team appointed by Mayor Bernero suggested deep contract concessions by the city’s police and fire unions, among other cuts.

Tom Krug is the executive director with the local Fraternal Order of Police.

This morning's news: Snow across the state, Snyder's budget, and charter school unionization

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:58:01 +0000

Snow blankets most of the state

Most of the Lower Peninsula is blanketed in snow as an overnight storm brought up to 9 inches in some areas, creating a potentially treacherous morning commute and causing many school districts to cancel classes.

Three to 7 inches of snow are expected in parts of mid and West Michigan, according to the Detroit Free Press. Areas of Southeast Michigan received up to 5 inches of snow. Parts of the northern Lower Peninsula could get up to 9 inches.

Snow is expected to continue throughout the morning, and it should taper off by around noon, the paper reported.

Gov. Snyder releases budget proposal

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder released his annual budget proposal Thursday morning.

"Sixty-one percent of the total investments we’re recommending are either for savings or education. This is a responsible budget. This is a budget to look to that long term, and learn from our past mistakes," Snyder said in his announcement.

Among his priorities were increasing taxes to help pay for upkeep of the state's roads. Snyder proposed raising the gas tax to 33 cents a gallon for all types of fuel. He also wants to raise vehicle registration fees.

Michigan Radio's Mark Brush has a run down of Snyder's other budget priorities, which include increasing funding for all levels of education and expanding medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Detroit charter school teachers vote to unionize

Teachers at Detroit's largest charter school voted overwhelmingly last night to be represented by a union.

The teachers and staff at Cesar Chavez academy voted by a 2-1 margin to have the American Federation of Teachers represent them, Michigan Radio's Steve Carmody reports.

Only a small number of Michigan’s charter schools have unionized employees.
Nate Walker is with the AFT. He expects teachers in some other Michigan charter schools will also unionize this year.
“I think in the future we can certainly expect more collective bargaining campaigns,” says Walker, “But we can also expect charter school teachers to engage in the policy discussions that impact them.”

- Joseph Lichterman, Michigan Radio Newsroom

Gov. Snyder proposes his vision for Michigan through budget

Mark Brush — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:49:35 +0000

Want to know someone's priorities? Follow the money.

Gov. Rick Snyder unveiled his vision for the state by delivering his proposed budget today to the state Legislature.

Here are some of the highlights of his budget proposals:

Taxes for road repair and maintenance

LIVESTREAM: Gov. Snyder talks numbers, unveils his budget

Mark Brush — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:56:29 +0000

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will unveil his budget this morning at 11 a.m.

Then the leaders in the Legislature will wrestle with the numbers and push their priorities for state spending and income.

Watch Snyder's budget unveiling here:

This morning's news: Snyder's numbers, Trooper saves girl, and more snow

Mark Brush — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:07:47 +0000

Gov. Snyder releases his numbers today

At 11 a.m., Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to unveil his budget to the state Legislature. It'll then be up to those representatives to wrestle with the numbers and come up with a final budget for the state. Among the things he's expected to call for:

After years of cuts, he'll call for a 2 percent increase in public education funding
More funding for road construction
And an expansion of Medicaid

More details emerge on I-75 crash, trooper saves one girl

More details came out yesterday on the deadly pileup on I-75 near Detroit the morning of Jan. 31.

A whiteout caused 12 crashes involving 43 cars on the Interstate. There were 12 injuries and 3 fatalities.

This morning, the Detroit News has more on Michigan State Trooper Seth Swanson's actions:

After failing to find a pulse on the first two children, Swanson went to the other side of the car, broke out the rear window with a hammer and reached in to see if the third child, a 10-year-old girl, was still alive. She had a faint pulse.
He cleared her airway and administered rescue breaths until she finally took a deep breath and regained consciousness.

And more snow is on the way, so drive carefully

Snow is expected for the entire state starting this evening. The middle of the state is expected to get the most snowfall. From the National Weather Service:

This system has the potential to generate heavy snowfall. 7 to 11 inches is expected north of M 46 and near Lake Huron, while 3 to 8 inches is possible for areas across the rest of Southeast Lower Michigan.

Mark Torregrossa from MLive says computer models for storms like this can predict higher snowfalls. His prediction is 4 to 9 inches for the middle of the state, and 1 to 4 inches for the rest of the state.

Stateside: Getting ready for the Governor's budget

Stateside Staff — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:57:06 +0000

The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above.

News out of Lansing: Governor Snyder announced today that he supports expanding Medicaid eligibility to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents without insurance.

The expansion comes under the Obama administration's health care overhaul.... and there are benefits for states that decide to expand Medicaid. The federal government will pick up the entire cost in the first three years... and 90 percent over the long haul.

But, Snyder is likely to run into resistance from fellow Republicans who are opposed to the Affordable Health Care law.

Meanwhile, the Governor is also gearing up to deliver his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013-2014 tomorrow. You could say, unveiling the proposal begins the "debate" (sometimes putting that kindly) in Lansing over what should and should not be funded.

So which programs and initiatives could be winners? And which could be losers in the Governor's spending plan? And in what the Legislature ultimately does with it?

Cyndy talked with Chris Gautz, Capitol Correspondent for Crain's Detroit Business and Dave Eggart, the Lansing reporter for the Associated Press.

Flint outsourcing trash collection

Steve Carmody — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:29:00 +0000

A private company will start picking up Flint’s residential trash next month.

Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz says Republic Services can handle Flint’s waste collection for a million dollars a year less than the city can itself. The two sides signed a contract this week.

This morning's news: Medicaid decision, Rainy Day Fund, Super Bowl ads

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:35:13 +0000

Snyder to decide this week whether to expand Medicaid

In his budget address this week, Gov. Rick Snyder will announce whether he'll expand Medicaid. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government would pay for the state to allow an additional 400,000 people in the state to receive Medicaid coverage. The state would eventually have to pay for a portion of the costs, Rick Pluta reports.

Snyder to propose adding $50 to $100 million to Rainy Day Fund

Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to recommend that the state add $50 to $100 million to its Budget Stabilization Fund, better known as the Rainy Day Fund. Some Democrats argue though that now is not the time to be saving. The Detroit Free Press quotes Gilda Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy.

"For lots of families, it is raining right now," Jacobs said. "There really is the opportunity to take a portion of the money that is in the Rainy Day Fund and use it for families that are experiencing hardship."

Chrysler pays tribute to troops, farmers in two Super Bowl ads

Chrysler's two Super Bowl ads were among the most well-received auto advertisements according to the Detroit Free Press. Chrysler's first ad, voiced by Oprah Winfrey, was a Jeep spot that paid tribute to the military. Their second commercial, an ad for Ram pickup trucks, featured the late radio personality Paul Harvey reading "So God Made a Farmer."

The ad took 9th place in MSU's annual Super Bowl Ad rankings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE

- Joseph Lichterman, Michigan Radio Newsroom

WMU approves 3.9 percent tuition increase

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:43:27 +0000

Western Michigan University says it's raising tuition 3.9 percent for the coming academic year, reports the AP.

Trustees at the Kalamazoo school approved the increase today. The school says instate freshmen and sophomores will pay $9,982 in tuition and mandatory fees in 2012-13. That's up $376 from the current academic year.

Western Michigan says with the increase, the school is 10th in cost among the 15 Michigan public universities.

Out-of-state freshmen and sophomores will pay $23,262 for the academic year.

The trustees approved an operating budget of $349 million for the 2012-13 year.

Last year, Michigan Radio's Jennifer Guerra reported on public university tuition increases for the 2012-2011 academic year:

University of Michigan: 6.7% increase for in-state undergraduates, 4.9% for out-of-state students.
Western Michigan University: 6.6% increase
Oakland University: 7% increase
Saginaw Valley State: 6.9% increase
Lake Superior State University: 6.94% increase
Michigan Technological University: 6.95% increase
University of Michigan-Flint: 6.8% increase

This year for in-state undergraduates, tuition has increased by:

University of Michigan: 2.8 percent
Saginaw Valley State: 3.9 percent
Lake Superior State University: 2.98 percent
Michigan Technological University: 3.9 percent
University of Michigan-Dearborn: 3.7 percent
University of Michigan-Flint: 3.6 percent
Michigan State University: 3.5 percent
Eastern Michigan University: 3.95 percent

-Elaine Ezekiel, Michigan Radio Newsroom