LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- State House Democrats say they want to spend an additional half-a-billion dollars on public education and cut taxes for middle-class families. They announced a set of budget priorities Monday that also include expanding Medicaid. We have more from Michigan Public Radio’s Jake Neher:
Lawmakers are in the middle of discussions about the next state budget.
Rashida Tlaib is the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. She says the governor’s budget continues a trend of Republican policies that hurt the state’s middle-class.
“We cannot afford to continue spending taxpayer funds on huge tax breaks for big corporations," she says. "We need to focus on improving the lives of Michigan residents.”
The Democrats’ plan calls for a billion-and-a-half dollars in new spending on education, tax cuts for middle-class residents and seniors, and small business investments. They say they would pay for that partly by eliminating government waste and cutting corporate tax breaks.
Republican leaders say their fiscal policies have helped spur Michigan’s economic recovery.