LANSING, Mich.--Detroit Senate Democrats today opposed the passage of a 30-day all-cuts budget that jeopardizes vital programs that Michigan families rely on and called on Senate Republicans to stay and work on a permanent solution. With a government shutdown looming five days away and the House scheduled to work all weekend, Senate Republicans passed a brutal cuts-only budget before running off to Mackinac Island for a retreat with donors and shirking their responsibility to reach a final budget resolution.

“We’ve known for quite some time that this would be a difficult budget year and here we are in the same exact position as we were in 2007. Who can blame the citizens of Michigan for being enraged?” said Senator Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit). “Passing a 30-day budget that includes these devastating cuts Senate Republicans have proposed is not a solution. We need to stay in Lansing and work on a compromise that will offer appropriate cuts while preserving our most important programs.”

“We need to do our job, period. A thirty day budget just leaves schools, cities, and Michigan citizens in limbo for another month,” said Senator Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit). “We need to stay here and do the job our constituents sent us here to do.”

The budgets passed by Senate Republicans today implement their cuts to health care, education, college scholarships and local revenue sharing among others. Senate Democrats opposed these cuts because they go too far and hurt the state’s chances for economic recovery. Senate Republicans took most of the summer off instead of working on a comprehensive budget solution, and today’s action only continued their procrastination that leaves Michigan families in limbo.

“Our constituents are furious with us for the cuts that have been proposed, and with out inability to pass a budget in a timely fashion,” said Senator Martha G. Scott (D-Highland Park). “We need to sit down and do the work we need to do to come to an agreement on a responsible budget that protects students, local governments and health care.”

“Michigan is facing one of the most difficult budget crises our state has ever seen, and we should be working on solutions instead of a 30 day delay,” said Senator Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit). “We should stay at work to pass a budget that protects our communities, and makes our state attractive to new businesses.”

Throughout the budget process, Senate Democrats have consistently fought to protect key priorities, including early childhood and public education programs, Promise scholarships that help our students afford a higher education, local revenue sharing that provides police officers and firefighters to watch over our loved ones, and essential health care programs. Another statewide poll was released this week that shows a majority of Michigan citizens support a budget compromise that includes some cuts while also instituting some revenue to protect imperative programs.

“The Republicans need to work over the weekend and get the job done just like we’d ask of any other employee in the state,” said Senator Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit). “We still have time to do this and there are no excuses for not having a completed budget.”

# # #