SBAM’s Brian Calley and Kelli Saunders broke down the pieces of Michigan’s budget that entrepreneurs should have on their radar. Click here to watch.

Midnight September 30th came and went this year without a budget in place in Michigan for the first time since 2009. However, the state only went without funding for about four hours, when Governor Whitmer signed a stopgap budget, pushing the deadline back one week to temporarily avoid a complete government shutdown. Lawmakers finally came to an agreement in a day that spanned late Thursday evening into early Friday morning, solidifying the fiscal landscape for this budget year. In total, this year’s budget is about $81 billion.

So, why exactly did the state government operate for four hours Wednesday morning without a budget? Not surprisingly, it depends on who you ask.

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) told reporters that it boiled down to getting the Senate to agree to transparency and disclosure for legislative earmarks.

“The reason the government shut down is because the Democrats didn’t want to do this, and we took it all the way up to the brink, and then they did it, and we’re going to make it a permanent law change, and it’s going to be a good change, and we significantly cut the pork,” Hall said.

A $21.3 billion School Aid Fund budget that increases the per-pupil allowance 4.6 percent to $10,050 per pupil, retains the free breakfast and lunch and increases by 25% funding for “at-risk” school districts and English language learners passed the Senate and House Thursday evening, 31-5 and 104-5, more than three months past the July 1 budget deadline.

Sens. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell), Joseph Bellino Jr. (R-Monroe), Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater), Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) and Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) cast the five no votes in the Senate, and Reps. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers), James DeSana (R-Carleton), Brad Paquette (R-Niles), Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) and Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) were the five no votes in the House.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending plan in SB 166 expands the state’s 4-year-old pre-school program, sets aside $65 million for smaller K-3 class sizes, but cuts local schools $100 million in teacher retirement payments (Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System or MPSERS).

U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) reported Wednesday raising more than $1.65 million in the third quarter of 2025, bringing her fundraising haul since she announced in April to more than $3.75 million, despite refusing political action committee (PAC) money.

By comparison, eventual winning Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) raised nearly $3 million in the third quarter of 2023, giving her $5 million in cash on hand up to that point.

McMorrow, a sitting state Senator, said she’s received 26,000 individual donations from people living in all 83 Michigan counties and in all 50 U.S. states. Overall, she’s had more than 48,000 individual contributions. Her campaign says 97 percent of the donations were $100 or less, with the average contribution being $39.

Democratic Candidates In CD-7 Show Their 3Q Cards

On the day following Tuesday’s third quarter reporting deadline, all three major Democratic candidates for the 7th Congressional District were eager to share the fundraising numbers for the time period between July 1 and September 30. The incumbent is first-term U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte).

First up, former Ukraine Ambassador Bridget Brink announced more than $600,000 raised in the second quarter of her campaign, giving her $1.1 million raised overall. She brought in more than a half million dollars in less than two weeks this summer. She said she has 6,200 donors with nearly 80% of the contributions being $25 or less.

Meanwhile, former Navy Seal Matt Maasdam announced that he’s raised more than $610,000 in his first quarter of his campaign. He’s reporting that 96 percent of his contributions are $100 or less. He has pledged not to take corporate PAC money.

Also, grassroots activist William Lawrence announced raising more than $220,000 in the first five weeks of his campaign. He’s claiming that he’s the first candidate with “a volunteer program to reach voters across the district.”