Earlier this week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer enacted the state’s $ 70 billion budget for fiscal year 2022. FY22 is considered historic in part for its $ 1.4 billion child care services, aided by federal pandemic stimulus funds.
“When we put the people of Michigan at the center of the conversation, we were able to do some pretty amazing things. – Democratic State House Leader Donna Lasinski, Township of D-Scio
The budget also includes $ 14 million in funds earmarked for local governments to respond to extreme weather events and coastal erosion. Democratic State House Leader Donna Lasinski of D-Scio Township admits the amount falls short of the billions of dollars needed by metropolitan Detroit alone to fight flooding. She is also responding to news that some local health departments are now canceling their masks mandate due to controversial language in the state budget, which has since been canceled by Whitmer.
Listen: Michigan State House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski on the historic FY22 budgetary provisions.
Guest
Democratic Leader of the State House Donna Lasinski, Township of D-Scio, represents Michigan’s 52nd Home District. She says the FY2022 budget was a bipartisan effort. “When we put the people of Michigan at the center of the conversation, we were able to do some pretty amazing things. “
The $ 1.4 billion included for education and child care could help an additional 105,000 children in Michigan. “This is going to be a transformational change for our economy in Michigan,” Lasinski said.
However, Lasinski criticizes the “boilerplate” provisions added by banning local warrants for masks and vaccines. This language was deemed inapplicable and unconstitutional by Whitmer. But local health services have since falsely claimed they are still being forced to end their tenure because of this budget provision. “The language on the masks is purely political,” says Lasinski. “It has happened in almost every budget. And every time it has been declared inapplicable and unconstitutional… You cannot undo the public health code in the budget.
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