LANSING---Senator Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) stood firm early yesterday morning and voted against drastic budget cuts to early childhood education, college and worker retraining scholarships, police and fire services and health care that the people of Michigan rely on.

“While the state’s economic situation has made it necessary to make some significant cuts to state government, there are some priorities that are essential to the future of Michigan and must be protected at all costs,” said Senator Hunter. “Early education funding that prepares our kids for academic success, scholarship programs that make a college education attainable for all students, health care for our vulnerable citizens, and public safety should not be compromised.”

With an October 1st deadline of balancing the fiscal year budget looming, Senator Hunter and his Democratic colleagues pointed out that a temporary budget to prevent a shutdown or harmful cuts was an option worth considering. After asking for a similar budget last week and receiving one from the House of Representatives earlier in the day, Senate Republicans still refused to move the legislation before midnight and left the entire state under a cloud of uncertainty for several hours.

During the debate, Senate Republicans stubbornly stuck to forcing the passage of their proposed budgets that included excessive and shortsighted cuts that would hurt our families and economic recovery. While working with the Republicans to pass a majority of the budgets before the Senate yesterday, Senator Hunter and his colleagues stood firm on their key priorities.

Republicans were forced to end the shutdown and there is now a chance for a true compromise to be reached, instead of a cuts-only approach that Michigan can not afford. Senate Republicans’ extreme proposal included $73.75 million in cuts to early childhood education, $201.8 million cut from worker retraining and scholarship programs-including the elimination of the Michigan Promise Scholarship, $160 million to local police and fire protection, and $112 million in health care services.

“We never should have reached this point in the first place, but the passage of a temporary budget will give us an opportunity to continue budget negotiations for the next thirty days,” said Hunter. “I will continue to advocate for a balanced approach of cuts, reforms and revenue to protect the state services that we hold most dear.”

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