Rep. Outman has voted against a $82.5 billion spending plan that prioritizes pet projects over the critical needs of Michigan’s families and children.

Outman said the plan relies on a tax increase that has families, seniors and small businesses handing over more of their hard-earned money to the state, while raiding teachers’ retirement accounts to the tune of $670 million.

Meanwhile, the new budget drastically cuts school safety and mental health grant funding by more than $300 million, leaving just $26.5 million to help schools fund resource officers, mental health services, and other critical programs that protect kids.

“When we saw malicious tragedy strike at Oxford High School, we responded by investing in efforts to better protect our kids moving forward,” Outman said. “We should be continuing those investments proactively, not waiting for another horrific event to take place before we ramp up funding for student safety and mental health again.”

Following the passage of the budget, the teachers’ union even issued a public statement calling for the Legislature to rethink the cuts and pass supplemental funding to back student mental health and safety efforts.

The statement from MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi reads:

“There were deep cuts to categorical funding for school safety and student mental health — cuts that will need to be navigated at the local level to keep our schools safe learning spaces for all students and employees. Our hope is that state lawmakers will return after the summer break to pass a supplemental budget that funds these critical student mental health and safety priorities.”

In addition to school safety cuts, per-pupil funding did not see an increase for the first time in many years. A move that Outman says shows where Democrat’s priorities truly lie.

Things that are instead prioritized in the budget plan include pet projects like a $7.5 million drone program, $3 million to incentivize people to buy e-bikes, and $25 million to build state-owned EV charging stations. A commission to coordinate a U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration two years from now also received $5 million.

“I can’t support a budget that doesn’t prioritize what really matters,” Outman said. “This plan focuses on very specific projects in targeted areas of the state rather than universal statewide necessities like infrastructure, safety, and essential services.”

The budget also funds hundreds of millions of dollars in pork projects added at the last minute, including $17 million for zoos in Lansing and Metro Detroit, $2.5 million for professional baseball stadiums, $5 million for a Detroit theater, $18 million for various public and private sports facilities, $1.9 million for a pool in Saginaw, and $300,000 for public Wi-Fi in downtown Detroit.

A $500 million earmark is included in the budget for the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) fund, which awards handouts to corporations that promise to invest in economic development projects. Recent events have raised concerns about lacking transparency measures within the fund, but the budget plan does nothing to improve it.

Outman is also concerned about lacking protections to ensure these funds are not awarded to organizations with ties to countries of concern, such as China. Republican lawmakers introduced an amendment to place such protections into the state budget, but it was denied by the majority.

“This is an issue we need to be taking much more seriously in Michigan,” Outman said. “We can’t keep doling out public funds to organizations without taking national security into account. I’m disappointed Democrats aren’t concerned about this nonpartisan issue.”

Despite Outman’s objection, the new state budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 was pushed through the House in two party-line votes.

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