LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Joseph Bellino this week opposed a fiscal year 2025 budget plan that takes hundreds of millions of dollars out of the pension fund for teachers and relies on hundreds of millions of dollars in higher taxes.
“I cannot support the Democrats’ irresponsible budget plan that focuses more on growing the size and scope of government instead of helping Michigan families struggling to afford everyday items and making long-term investments to improve our communities,” said Bellino, R-Monroe. “Last year, the Democrats recklessly spent almost all of a record $9 billion surplus, and now they’ve passed a budget built on raising income taxes by $700 million and taking $670 million that was supposed to pay off debt in the teachers’ pension fund.
“The hardworking people of Michigan deserve and expect much better.”
During the budget debate, Bellino offered several amendments to improve the budget plan, but all of them were rejected by the Democratic majority.
Bellino’s amendments would have:
- Cut $10 million for “clean fleet” grants to government entities and repurpose it for lead service line replacement.
- Added funding to help bring sexual assault assailants to justice.
- Ensured no state funding goes to provide driver’s license to illegal aliens.
- Stopped universities or colleges from sanctioning any student organization that supports a recognized terrorist organization or makes threats of violence toward any group or person.
- Ensured no one in the country illegally receives rental subsidies.
- Restored a full foundation allowance for cyber schools.
“If a community wants to buy the more expensive electric vehicles, then they should use their own resources to cover the extra cost — not get bailed out by state taxpayers,” Bellino said. “We should also be clarifying what the Whitmer administration claims is their policy regarding illegal immigrants getting state rental subsidies and keeping all Michigan students on the same base funding allowance to ensure no student falls behind, no matter where they go to school.”
###