LANSING – House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) today praised Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) for agreeing to hold fair hearings on proposals that House Democrats have made to protect key priorities that will turn Michigan's economy around.
"We all need to come to the table to resolve this budget crisis quickly, and I'm glad that Senate Majority Leader will give revenue for police and fire, Promise Scholarships and health care a fair hearing," Dillon said. "The House has reduced government spending by more than $1 billion, voted to cut our own pay and cut our own budget $1.7 million. Now we need to ensure that funding is available to protect what matters most to Michigan's turnaround."
The House Tax Policy Committee has also agreed to hold hearings on Senate revenue proposals to resolve the budget crisis.
"The House has said from the start that Michigan's budget crisis can only be solved through a combination of deep cuts, reforms and targeted revenues to protect the priorities that will turn our state around," Dillon said. "Our priorities are clear, because they are the priorities that are necessary to Michigan's economic revival: We must provide the resources our schools need to educate our children. We must save the Promise Scholarship program so we can train our young people for the good-paying jobs of the 21st century. We must keep our firefighters and police officers on the street so that our families, our homes and our communities are safe. And we must provide health care for our kids and seniors and ensure that our nursing homes stay open and able to care for our loved ones."