(WWJ) While the governor and Republican leaders are bickering over who has authority in a state of emergency, the two sides are also preparing to battle it out over severe cuts to state services due to the economic impact of the coronavirus on the state budget.
WWJ's Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports there's a coronavirus death count on one hand and a death watch for the state budget on the other.
Loss of revenue means loss of services that the public will feel, eventually, he added. Every subcommittee chair in Lansing has been tasked with coming up with an outline of cuts for 10, 20 and 30 percent scenarios, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey told Skubick.
"But where, and who gets impacted?" Skubick asked. There's no answer yet; A glimpse into possibilities is expected next week.
All the talk thus far has focused on closing down, the economy, and then how to reopen it, and how much power Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has to do both. But the focus next week, Skubick says, will be on the massive hole in the state budget and how to fix it.
The deficit is projected to be between $1.5 billion and $3.5 billion after all the coronavirus tolls are added up, which is 20-25% of the total general fund.
"Legislative leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer found it impossible to agree on a budget last year, when Michigan was enjoying prosperity and state coffers were full...That doesn't create a lot of optimism for their ability to meet the enormous fiscal task ahead of them this year, with tax revenues collapsing due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the budget shortfall reaching astronomical heights and time for finding a solution running short," columnist Nolan Finley wrote in the Detroit News.
