Updates About Budget

After the FY 23 School Aid Fund Budget (Senate Bill 845) and the General Omnibus Budget (House Bill 5783) won bipartisan approval from the Michigan State Legislature in the early morning hours of July 1, the budgets were transmitted to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

On July 20, the Governor signed into law House Bill 5783, the Fiscal Year 2022-23 General Omnibus budget, which funds all state departments and agencies for the next fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022.

The General Omnibus budget, part of a historic $76 billion bipartisan budget agreement, includes $15.2 billion in General Funds. The School Aid budget, signed into law on July 14, totaled $17 billion.

Several new, one-time investments were included in the budget agreement that were not built into the budget as on-going items, ostensibly to avoid structural budget challenges in the future. $180 million was deposited into the state’s rainy-day fund, which brings that fund to $1.6 billion – an all-time high.

With billions in federal funds remaining on the table yet to be appropriated, additional action around tax relief and supplemental appropriations measures could come later this summer.

All FY 23 appropriations materials can be found here

In the early hours of July 1, the Michigan State Legislature passed House Bill 5783, the general omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2023. In the general omnibus, the state appropriated $58.4 billion, with $33.3 billion of that being the Health and Human Services budget. The School Aid Fund budget, Senate Bill 845, allocated $22.1 billion, bringing the state’s total appropriations to a historic $76 billion. The Executive Office and Legislative leaders celebrated the passing of the budget before the statutory July 1 deadline.

While an over $2 billion supplemental spending measure for FY 21-22 accompanied the budget, approximately $7 billion remains on the table for future spending, with $3.8 billion in General Fund and $3.3 billion in School Aid Fund. Further discussions around tax cuts and other supplemental appropriations measures are expected in the late summer/early fall.

All FY 23 appropriations materials can be found here.

On May 19, the Michigan Senate swiftly approved, mostly along party lines, House Bill 4568 and Senate Bill 784 – a nearly $2.7 billion tax relief package. Subsequently, the Michigan House passed House Bill 4568, sending the bill to the Governor’s desk, but due to procedural restrictions, will wait until the following week to pass Senate Bill 784.

The measures would reduce the state’s income tax rate from 4.25 percent to 4 percent in the 2023 tax year. The bills also include an expansion of Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credit from 6 percent to 20 percent in the 2022 tax year and increasing personal tax exemptions by $1,800. Finally, the bills include tax deductions for senior filers, dependents as well as disabled veterans. Senate Bill 784 addresses policy related to the spouses and surviving spouses of disabled veterans, as well as relief for local units of government.

During the floor debate, Democratic Legislators got up to speak to the tax cut proposal, saying it falls short of providing relief to Michiganders in the immediate term. Instead, the Governor and Democrats in the Legislature called for $500 in direct relief to families.

While tax cut proposals have been a focus of Republicans in the legislature for months, this particular effort to provide tax relief unfolded somewhat last minute after the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies released revenue numbers well above projections and budget balances between $4-5 billion for the General Fund and $4-5 billion for the School Aid fund going into Fiscal Year 2023. The effort also comes ahead of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference on Friday, May 20 where revenue projections will be finalized.

As the package passed the chambers along party lines, the bills did not garner enough support to be granted immediate effect. Thus, any tax relief would not go into effect until 90 days after the legislature adjourns sine die (next spring).