LANSING – Governor
Rick Snyder, on signing the two bills to enact the 2015-16 budget,
announced he had hit five for five so far during his administration: budgets
done by June, balanced and with more money for K-12 education.
“This is the fifth year in a
row we’ve had a structurally balanced budget, a well-done budget, done by
June,” Snyder said before signing the bills. The omnibus budget is SB
133
and the education budget is HB
4115.
He compared Michigan to some other
states that have fiscal years ending June 30 that are just now completing their
budget work.
“One state finished their
budget recently and they’re hoping to find out in a couple days whether it
solves their problem,” he said.
He also, on being questioned about
his choice for president (he is not backing a candidate yet) slammed the
federal government. “They haven’t done a budget,” he said. “They
haven’t done tax reform.”
Legislative leaders also praised the
budget.
“This is really a priorities
budget,” House Speaker
Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant) said. “We put out so many of the fires
and now it’s about investing.”
Al Pscholka (R-Stevensville), chair of the House Appropriations Committee,
said he hoped the early completion of budgets could continue after his time in
the Legislature. He has one more budget before being forced from the chamber
under term limits.
Snyder did veto a provision in the
main budget, but he characterized the strike-through as minor. The provision
re-appropriated lapsed funds for the Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans, which he
said were already addressed in other provisions of the budget.
The governor also found that
sections regarding indemnification for livestock killed by predators,
administration of the GED-to-school program, billing for road construction cost
sharing were not enforceable.
And he acknowledged the budget does
not include a permanent solution for transportation, given the failure of Proposal
15-1, but he said the funds in the bill tide the state over until that
solution can be found.
“We understand we do need to
improve transportation and we do need to come up with a long-term
solution,” he said. “This was a good interim step.”
Snyder continued to refuse any
comment on the House-developed plan and said he would not comment on the Senate
plan, either, when it is unveiled. Rather, he said, the three leaders at that
point would have to meet and hash out a solution.
The governor declined to say the
transportation funding in the budget meant cuts for other programs. “It
was just some good budgeting,” he said. “There were a number of
places where we reallocated resources.”
To Eastern Michigan University’s
decision Tuesday to buck the budget and adopt tuition increases above the cap, Snyder
noted it was only the second time since the cap, tied to some additional state
funding, had been violated by a university.
“That’s the option of the
university,” he said. “It’s very limited where you have this
circumstance.”
Increases in the budget for K-12 education
are also essential, Snyder said. In addition to the between $70 and $140 per
pupil districts will see, he said the at-risk funding in the bill could add as
much as $100 more per pupil for some districts.
“We have $30 million toward a
proposal to say how can we make sure our students can read by third
grade,” Snyder said.
He also praised funds set aside for
skilled trades training.
Stephanie Comai, director of the new
Talent Investment Agency, said the funds would help to keep Michigan on its
current recovery path.
“We need to make sure kids and
adults know what jobs are available,” Comai said. “(The budget)
recognizes the critical importance of career planning and career and technical
education.”
Though the state still needs an
additional federal waiver to continue its Healthy Michigan program, Snyder
lauded the response to the plan, saying “600,000 Michiganders are now
getting primary care instead of having to rely on the ER.” He did not expect
that the coming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the provisions of the federal
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would affect the state’s program.
The federal court ruling is on the
federal subsidies for insurance purchased through one of the federally-run
exchanges, which Michigan has, not on the expanded Medicaid eligibility that
more closely affects Health Michigan.
“We did it smarter than the
federal government,” he said.
As to how the ruling might affect
the state’s health insurance exchange: “We’ll have to wait and see how
that court case comes out and the response of the federal government,” he
said.
The budgets expand public safety
both through funds for 88 more State Police troopers and 10 motor carrier
officers, but also through the $500,000 grant for campus sexual assault
prevention programs, he said.
Snyder said the latter program was
also a win for his wife, who has been championing the issue of reducing sexual
assaults at colleges and universities.
As to whether that enhances Snyder’s
role in the administration: “No, she isn’t signing the bill,” he
said. “I still get to be the governor.”
This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe,
click on www.gongwer.com
