LANSING, Mich.--Senate Democrats today forced a vote to end Republican stonewalling and send the remaining Senate-passed budgets on to Governor Granholm for her consideration.

Senate Republicans opposed today’s motion and continue to refuse to release six completed budgets to the Governor, holding these budgets hostage for nearly a week without releasing them: Michigan State Police; General Government; Higher Education; Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth; Department of Human Services; Department of Community Health.

Republicans are on dangerous ground and appear to be playing politics by holding these budgets until the state again faces a government shutdown at the end of this month, and then pointing the finger at the Governor and Democrats if it happens. Senate Republicans have already been responsible for too much delay on the state budget, and there is no reasonable justification for preventing these budgets from being finalized.

Senate Democratic Leader Mike Prusi (D-Ishpeming) discussed this in a floor statement yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6CNwmJnb3c&feature=channel_page.

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