Snyder budget proposal focuses on schools, roads
(WJBK) - Governor Rick Snyder rolled out his budget plan Wednesday with a focus on pouring money into schools and roads. FOX 2's Tim Skubick explains the governor fears lawmakers running for re-election may promise big tax breaks that will stretch state dollars for other services too thin.
While Snyder worked the room pitching his new $55 billion budget, outside the room protestors demonstrated.
"We don't trust anything tricky Ricky says," Rev. W. J. Rideout said.
The governor got a warmer response from both Democrats and Republicans because he wants to boost state school aid by $120 per pupil in rich districts and $240 in poorer schools. But he wants a better return on that investment.
"Hopefully it can make a difference in the classroom and I encourage us to work hard with our educational partners because we do need to show better performance for our kids," Syder said.
He also got praise for pumping $150 million extra dollars into road repairs.
"I-75 south of Detroit in the Downriver area, that's a monster project, I-75 up in Oakland County and 696 is a critical project, we get working on with the concrete issues," Snyder said.
The governor also cried uncle and wants to scrub privatized food services in the prison system.
"We saw the maggots in the food and all the terrible things that have taken place with this. ... Sex with inmates, I mean it's just tragic," Rep. Tom Cochran, D-Mason said.
The governor also took a bow for spending $600 million to fight college campus sex abuse. But one democrats argues that is only federal money, no state dollars in the program and 50 Michigan counties, including Ingham, home of Larry Nassar, gets none.
"If Ingham County actually had the resources that they needed for services in the community, then maybe we would have stopped Larry Nassar," said Kristy Pagan, D-Canton
On an election year tax break the governor warns lawmakers not to spend too much on that which would take money away from the school kids and roads.