The State Senate moved swiftly this week, passing all 16 fiscal year (FY) 2012 department budgets, eight Tuesday and eight Wednesday. Only one of the 16 budgets, Agriculture and Rural Development, received any Democratic support. Some Republicans voted “no” on a handful of budgets. In an interesting move, after witnessing every offered amendment defeated at the committee-level, Democrats chose not to offer amendments on the Senate floor. Both Tuesday and Wednesday; however, were full of impassioned speeches by all 12 members of the minority caucus.
Tuesday saw the Senate tackle budgets for Agriculture and Rural Development (SB 169), the Department of Community Health (SB 172), the Department of Corrections (SB 173), the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (SB 175), the Department of Human Services (SB 179), the Department of Natural Resources (SB 182), General Government (SB 177) and the Michigan State Police (SB 184). None of the budgets had passed with significant changes from the versions addressed by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Wednesday was a different story. The other remaining eight budgets were Community Colleges (SB 171), the Department of Education (SB 174), the Department of Environmental Quality (SB 176), the Department of Transportation (SB 185), Higher Education (SB 178), Judiciary (SB 180), Military and Veterans Affairs (SB 181) and, by-far the most contentious, the K-12 school aid budget (SB 183).
The K-12 budget was heatedly debated for a majority of the day’s session, with half of the body delivering speeches (including all 12 Democratic members). The debate came to an end with a reportedly surprising number of Republican “no” votes, requiring Lt. Governor Brian Calley to deliver the tie-breaking vote for a 20-19 final tally. Senators Jack Brandenburg (R-Harrison Township), Mike Green (R-Mayville), Goeff Hansen ((R-Hart), Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell), Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) and Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights) joined their 12 Democratic colleagues in opposing the spending plan. The roughly $12.4 billion appropriation remained largely unchanged from earlier Committee action, including a $340 per-pupil total reduction.
Many of the Senate’s budgets depart from the Governor’s recommendations. The Higher Education budget, for example, significantly reduced the Governor’s proposed use of $700 million in school aid fund money in the Senate version.