Michigan Budget Passes After Overnight Session

Michigan lawmakers passed a roughly $85 billion state budget Friday morning after working through the night in Lansing, giving schools and local governments long-awaited answers after weeks of uncertainty.

The bipartisan spending plan closes a $1 billion shortfall without raising new taxes. The budget includes $19.8 billion for K-12 schools, with per-pupil funding increasing by $250 to $10,300.

State Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, said lawmakers approved the fiscal year 2026-27 budget around 9 a.m.

“We passed a budget, finally!” Miller wrote in a public statement Friday morning.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the budget “balanced” and “bipartisan,” saying it supports student literacy, housing, health care and road funding. She also noted it is her final budget as governor.

The vote came after lawmakers missed the July 1 deadline, leaving school districts and municipalities waiting for final state funding numbers. Districts build their budgets around state aid, including per-pupil funding, school meals, special education and other programs. When those numbers come late, local leaders are left making staffing and programming decisions around estimates.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, said the timing matters.

“It is important to pass the budget now, or even sooner, to give schools and local governments time to plan their budgets,” Irwin wrote in a public statement.

Milan Board of Education President Tom Faro also pointed to the missed deadline, writing that Lansing had a responsibility to adopt a budget by July 1.

Miller said the final budget was not perfect, but lawmakers worked to protect services residents rely on, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, housing support, universal school meals and increased per-pupil funding for students.

“We know there will be cuts to account for the changes in the federal budget, but we’ll keep fighting to protect the programs and services that Michiganders rely on,” Miller wrote earlier in the overnight session.

Irwin also highlighted housing investments and wage increases for direct care workers who provide services to seniors.

State Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, described the session as a “grueling 21-hour marathon” and said lawmakers passed dozens of other bills alongside the budget. He said the budget included investments in education, housing, child care, roads and public transportation.

For local districts and communities, the budget’s passage brings clearer numbers after a difficult process. But the relief comes after a missed deadline, an overnight session and acknowledged cuts, leaving schools and local governments to sort through the final details after weeks of uncertainty.