St. Clair Today

State Representative Jay DeBoyer voted in favor of a new budget agreement on Thursday, highlighting its focus on reducing state spending and investing in local infrastructure. DeBoyer, who represents Clay Township, emphasized that the plan aims to address concerns about increasing government expenditures.

“We’ve seen how out of control state spending has gotten over the past few years,” said DeBoyer. “This plan works to reduce spending by over $1.1 billion. It eliminates over 2,000 ghost state positions that are routinely funded but never filled, which costs taxpayers money and creates slush funds for state departments to push their own agendas. We worked to deliver a better product for the people with historic funding for roads, support for students and public safety.”

The budget allocates nearly $2 billion in ongoing funding to repair local roads, an investment intended to provide communities with resources needed for road maintenance and improvements.

In addition, the agreement includes tax relief measures such as eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security income. According to DeBoyer, these changes will benefit more than 500,000 residents across Michigan by easing financial pressures on workers and seniors.

Another component of the budget is a $26 million allocation for infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The funding will be used for runway replacement and preparations related to a new fighter jet mission.

The plan also maintains current fees for hunting, fishing, and boating licenses after proposals from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were rejected. Lawmakers cited concerns about efficient use of existing funds before considering fee increases.

To address inefficiencies in government property use, the budget ends payments for empty office buildings that remain unused while many employees work remotely. The measure seeks greater oversight and accountability regarding state office occupancy rates.

“I am hopeful this budget sets a precedent going forward,” said DeBoyer. “We can dedicate record funding to things an overwhelming majority of people in our state care about by budgeting responsibly and ditching the reckless habits that have bloated state government on the backs of hardworking taxpayers. This is a pivotal plan for the direction of our state, and House Republicans have led the way on championing a more responsible budget since the start of the term.”

The approved plan now awaits consideration from the governor.