Governor’s budget tackles pressing needs to counter COVID-19 health and economic crises
For Immediate Release
Feb. 11, 2021
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-775-9053
Key investments will improve child care access, tackle K-12 learning loss and expand education and job opportunities for Michigan workers
LANSING—The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2022 budget proposal announced today. It can be attributed to League President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs.
Overview:
“We appreciate Gov. Whitmer’s continued commitment to promoting equity for all residents in the state’s approaches, policies and funding priorities, including in today’s 2022 budget proposal. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare longstanding health disparities, and the governor continues to call for targeted and strategic investments to help improve the experiences and outcomes of all residents. Education continues to be a top and necessary priority, with major investments proposed in child care and preschool, K-12 schools, and higher education and skills training for adults and frontline workers.”
Child Care:
“This budget includes an incredible and much-appreciated recognition of the importance of child care, both in this moment and perennially, significantly increasing the income eligibility level for the state’s child care subsidy as well as increasing rate payments for child care providers. Child care lays the foundation for children’s development and future education, but it is also a cornerstone of a solid workforce by enabling parents to work, and this funding is vital to help stabilize Michigan families and the child care industry as a whole. A lot more still needs to be done to stabilize access to care for infants and toddlers, and the League will continue to work with parents, partners, and policymakers of all political persuasions to make sure child care continues to be rightfully prioritized and funded.”
K-12 Funding:
“At the K-12 level, the governor is working hard to address the COVID-19 fallout for our schools and students, and investing in a number of proposals to help counter learning loss, tackle challenges for specific groups of students, and limit the impact of current fluctuation in student populations. But policymakers should still consider fully funding the At-Risk School Aid program and providing more adequate funding for a weighted School Aid funding formula that directs more money to support students in poverty, English-language learners and children with special needs.
Education and Training Opportunities for Workers:
“The budget also continues investments in a number of important programs to help provide education and training opportunities for the state’s workers, including Michigan Reconnect, Going Pro and Futures for Frontliners. As much talk as there is about talent attraction and retention, policymakers must not overlook the potential our existing workforce has. They just need a chance. And these programs not only offer workers a chance at a better opportunity, but a boost toward making it a reality by reducing and eliminating the overwhelming costs of a college degree, trade certification or skills training.”
COVID Supplemental Stalemate:
“While the budget announced today includes investments in an array of key areas to help counter the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, the most pressing concern remains the current political stalemate on billions of dollars in federal COVID relief. With the clock ticking on federal deadlines and Michigan residents’ struggles more urgent than ever, our leaders need to stop using this funding for political leverage and instead find a way to iron out a reasonable agreement—and quickly—that puts all of the federal COVID money to work as soon as possible.”
BACKGROUND:
The state budget is always a big area of advocacy for the Michigan League for Public Policy and the League’s 2022 state budget priorities can be found here. Many of these funding recommendations align closely with Gov. Whitmer’s proposals outlined today, including helping parents with low wages find affordable child care and ensuring safe drinking water in schools and child care centers and protecting Michiganders from other environmental health threats. The League also continues to advocate for providing more state funding to public schools in high-poverty communities, updating the state’s food and income assistance programs, and more.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
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