LANSING – Gov. Jennifer Granholm took the unusual step of addressing the entire state at 6 p.m. Thursday, saying she has issued an Executive Directive to begin shutting down all but essential government services at midnight on Sunday unless a balanced budget agreement is reached before then, but at the same time she said productive negotiations are ongoing.
“The Constitution is clear, without a balanced budget in place the state cannot write a single check,” she said.
She said since February she has advocated for a balanced budget that includes a combination of cuts, reforms and new revenue, and she will not approve a budget that contains massive cuts to education, health care and public safety. The Governor also restated she would not accept a continuation budget unless an agreement was in place
“The Legislature has had more than enough time to avert this crisis by adopting a balanced budget - that's the one lawmaking-duty the Legislature is given by the Michigan Constitution," Granholm said. "These same leaders have demanded that we adopt a so-called continuation budget so they can have another 30 days to do what the Legislature has failed do to in almost eight months."
"All a continuation budget does is continue to spend money we don't have," she said. "It's not an answer to our fiscal problems, and in fact, it will only make them far worse."
Granholm urged residents to contact their legislators and urge them to put loyalty to Michigan above loyalty to party and reach a compromise.
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