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Michigan Senate Approves Another Round Of Budget Cuts

By ALISHA GREEN
Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan is closer to slicing $105 million from the state budget after the Republican-led Senate passed two bills that would help compensate for a shortfall in tax revenue.

A bill making cuts to various state departments was approved with a 26-11 vote on Thursday, mostly along party lines. Another bill shifting $250 million of school aid money to the state's general fund to help cover shortfalls there was approved by a 23-14 vote.

The House and Senate appropriations committees gave final approval to an executive order earlier this month reducing the current fiscal year budget an additional $102 million, bringing the total cuts to $207 million. The action came after economists found state revenue is short of projections mostly because of business tax credits being claimed at a higher rate than expected.
Some of the cuts reduce or eliminate spending that was no longer needed in department budgets, such as surplus funds for flood disaster assistance.

Echoing their House counterparts, some of the Senate Democrats who voted against the bills expressed concerns about taking money out of the fund for K-12 education.

Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, a Democrat from Taylor, offered an amendment that would have prevented shifting money out of that fund, which he said has been "continually raided" by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican legislative majorities.

Hopgood said the proposed budget cuts would be "balancing the budget on the backs of our kids." The amendment was not approved.

Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, a Lowell Repulican, said the shifting of funds will not reduce funding for schools this year.

The bills will now go to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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