The State Budget

The state budget has officially passed, and House Republicans are proud to deliver a plan that finally puts Michigan families first. Reaching a budget agreement in divided government requires compromise, but I’m proud to say House Republicans secured some incredible wins for Michigan families. Even though Democrats control the Senate and Governor’s office, House Republicans remained focused on common sense priorities while working to protect your tax dollars.

We have said from the beginning that Michigan can fund the most important things if we simply make them priorities and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse to pay for them. We just needed to make Lansing accountable to the people again.

Key budget wins

Investing nearly $2 billion more in ongoing road funding to make long-term improvements to Michigan’s infrastructure and finally fix our local roads and bridges. Our plan ensures the dollars people pay at the pump are used to fix the roads they drive every day.

Eliminates taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security income, providing tax relief to working families and seniors. This will provide meaningful relief to more than 500,000 Michiganders, helping workers, seniors, and families stretch their paychecks further and keep up with the rising cost of daily life.

Reducing the overall size of state government after years of unchecked expansion. House Republicans are taking an important step to rein in this runaway growth by shrinking the state’s general fund by $800 million, restoring balance to the budget, and delivering better value to taxpayers.

Removes 2,000 ghost government jobs and cutting other waste, fraud and abuse out of the budget. Instead of allowing bureaucrats to stash taxpayer dollars in slush funds, we are putting those resources to better use on broad, widespread priorities that benefit all Michiganders.

Ending state-sponsored EV subsidies that spent $30 million on EV chargers but never built a single one. We also stopped the misguided and failed effort to transform all state vehicles to electric vehicles.

Eliminating funding for the failed SOAR corporate handout program that funneled taxpayer dollars into projects that did not deliver the jobs Michiganders were promised. Instead of wasting resources on failed schemes, we are investing in priorities that truly strengthen our economy and communities.

House Republicans kept our promise to put Michigan families first. For the first time in years, this budget is smaller than the previous budget by about $1.5 billion. It invests in local roads, real tax relief, and holds Lansing accountable. By eliminating taxes on seniors and workers, fixing our roads, and demanding transparency, we proved government can work for the people again. This is a responsible, common-sense budget that delivers results every Michigander will see and feel.

Serving you is an honor, and I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of SW Michigan residents. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or need help with any state agencies please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 517-373-1799 or at paulinewendzel@house.mi.gov.