There is a lot of yelling and finger pointing over posts by a Michigan News Outlet, and on my own Facebook page over the use of the word ‘defunding’ when it comes to The Michigan State Police and The Michigan Department of Corrections.

So here it is, Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Executive Order 155-2020 cut out $115 million dollars from MSP and nearly $400 from corrections. That money was replaced by using a combination of rainy-day funds and Federal CARES dollars for relief from the coronavirus pandemic. That fills most of the hole in funding but only through the end of September. So, there really is no way to say those departments were not collectively defunded to the tune of a half a billion dollars, they were. The money was then replaced using Federal dollars and therefore covering the hole but only temporarily.

Attempts to get answers from the state about what happens next have proven futile. That is important because this is only a stop gap measure and only solves the problem for a few weeks.
Here’s why:

The 2019-2020 Fiscal Year ends on September 30th and because of massive lockdowns and stay at home orders, tax revenue was greatly reduced not only in Michigan but across the nation. As a result, The Governor and others were forced to scramble and cover the massive $2.2 Billion-dollar shortfall. But again, this only covers us until the end of September. And keep in mind, expected revenues to Washington have also taken a hit.
Beginning on October 1st 2020, Michigan will once again be staring down the barrel of a massive budgetary shortfall. Right now those inside the Capitol are hoping it’s only $2.2 Billion dollars or less but there is certainly no guarantee of that. Maybe as the economy recovers things will improve but with a 14.8% unemployment rate as of June there is a long way to go and no certainty, we will get anywhere close.
One state lawmaker involved in the budget negotiations told me, “massive cuts to state government are inevitable unless another huge infusion of federal money shows up,” and then added, “that is far from certain and we cannot count on that happening.”

Michigan is required by law to have a balanced budget and cannot borrow money to cover the financial holes. Therefore, it is a financial reality that the pain will be spread all over state government.
I have been told all non-essential (don’t you just love that term) projects, contracts and even state employees will likely be dumped during an upcoming budget negotiation conference in August. We will have to wait and see on that one.

Right now, the forecast has not been made about how much revenue Michigan expects will be coming in for Fiscal Year 2020-2021, but it seems crystal clear that the pain will be substantial, and it will hit several agencies statewide.
Nobody will be spared is what I am hearing from many sources.

Does that mean the $115 million dollar cut to MSP will remain of the nearly $400 million dollar cut to corrections, no probably not but it does mean, I’m told, that tens of millions will be coming out of that column- and several other state agency columns too.

Concerning Governor Whitmer ‘defunding police’, it is something she said she “agrees with in spirit” and if it comes to pass in reality then what else would you call it?

By the way, every single source I have is telling me the same thing, there is no federal money left right now for 2021 and no indication any more is coming.