Page 22 - Thomas Albert News Today

A concrete stretch of the Kalamazoo River in downtown Battle Creek is one step closer to returning to a natural state.

A redevelopment project along the River Raisin in downtown Adrian and improvements at Mitchell Park in Raisin Township are in the new state budget.

The Michigan Legislature wrapped up work on budget bills in a marathon session that lasted until early Friday, but there’s still be plenty more to be done because the state has billions to put towards services, savings or tax cuts.

The budget is estimated to be around $75 billion, which would be a record.

The roughly $77 billion plan includes a $54.8 billion for state departments as well as a combined $22.1 billion for school aid, community colleges, and public universities.

It is estimated that 1.6 million Michigan residents have inadequate access to dental services.

In a late-night session of the Legislature, Democrats tried to force votes to permanently repeal Michigan’s statutory abortion ban while Republicans said they’ll defend the ban in court.

Michigan lawmakers approved a state budget early Friday that increases money for education but delayed a decision on how to cut taxes.

The Michigan Legislature wrapped up work on budget bills in a session that lasted into the early morning hours Friday. But another round of spending plans is still needed, because the state still has billions of dollars in the bank.

The budget includes billions for road projects, school safety and other priorities. But Whitmer and lawmakers couldnt finalize any tax cuts.