LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan House and Senate voted and passed state budget bills overnight, which are now being sent to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for her final signature.
Michigan lawmakers passed the bills late Thursday night into Friday morning. One of the bills includes ending sales tax on gas for cars.
Another bill passed was the education bill. This will cover free school meals.
Changes to tips on taxes and overtime were also approved. Workers can now deduct federal taxes from state filing.
Lawmakers also voted and approved a proposal that would place a 24% wholesale tax on Michigan’s cannabis industry. Some industry leaders opposed this strongly. The money generated from that tax revenue is expected to tackle highway repairs.
Whitmer released a statement regarding the budget:
“Today’s balanced, bipartisan budget is a big win for Michiganders. We brought members on both sides of the aisle together to provide tax breaks to seniors and working families, protect access to affordable health care, feed every child free meals at school, help our students succeed academically, and ensure Michiganders are safe in their communities.
“I ran for office in large part because I wanted to fix the damn roads. Over the past seven years, we’ve made historic progress, fixing 24,500 lane miles and 1,900 bridges. With this budget, we’re locking in a significant, bipartisan investment to fix state and local roads for decades to come, creating and protecting thousands of jobs in the process. I’m proud to deliver on my promise and look forward to driving on safer, smoother roads long after my time as governor.
“I’m so grateful to Leader Brinks, Speaker Hall, and legislators on both sides of the aisle for coming together to get this done for Michiganders. Let’s keep moving Michigan forward.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Rep. Joe Aragona, (R) Clinton Township, joined Local 4 early Friday morning to break down the bills that were passed. You can watch the full interview below: