LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Numerous entities  received repeat funding under the recently passed historically large state budget that set a record for costing $82 billion dollars, with more $900 million in particular pet projects for districts throughout the state.  

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According to the Detroit News, an analysis of last year’s budget featured 150 pet projects for various groups.  However, under the Democrat majority legislature, this year’s budget which was not released until the afternoon it was voted on contained approximately 200 pet project grants. 

“This is the first time Democrats have had full oversight of the budget since Reagan,” said Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck). “We are going to do everything we can to reform the process to usher in more transparency.”

Four museums in the state will receive another round of funding to the cumulative total of more than $10 million in the latest budget. 

Ranking in the fewest number of dollars is the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which will receive an additional $1 million after being the recipient of more than $10 million the previous year according to the Detroit News.  Moreover, the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University will be given $5 million to be used towards construction of the museum in Big Rapids. Additionally, the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit will receive $4 million this year, just two million less than it received last year, and the Detroit Historical Society received $4 million as well. 

Legislators were also instrumental in bringing in money to other city assets, particularly in Canton Township, whose earmarks more than doubled from last year, $5.8 million, to $14 million in the latest budget. 

This year, $2 million for a youth center, $5 million will go towards the reconstruction of roads and sidewalks, and $7 million will go towards a fire station in the township. 

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Some legislators, like Republican Representative and Minority Floor Leader, Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) opposed the budget. 

“The Democrats’ pork-barrel budget wastes the people’s dollars and tees up future tax hikes to pay for irresponsible, unsustainable programs,” Hall said in a statement. “Their spending is a mile wide and an inch deep — funding all sorts of half-baked programs without giving enough support to actually deliver the solutions the people of Michigan deserve. This ridiculous plan fails to fix our local roads, bridges, and water infrastructure. It leaves our police departments without help to hire new officers. And it even removes the dedicated funding set aside exclusively for school safety officers.”

“Michigan’s budget should support Michiganders — not jumpstart bad programs. Instead of opening the door for tax hikes, let’s find ways to reduce burdens on Michigan taxpayers and make life more affordable,” he added. 

The educational expenses portion of the budget was also filled with other new programs including the Governor’s free preschool program, which won’t immediately service all of the preschool age children in the state, but has allocated nearly $255 million for up to 5,600 in its inaugural year.