When Gov. Jennifer Granholm's executive order balancing a $920-million shortfall in the state budget is presented to state Senate and House appropriations committees next week, East Lansing will be without its chief advocate.
At least in person.
State Rep. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, who serves as vice minority chair on the House Appropriations Committee, which will have the vote on the executive order, will be home on maternity leave. But House Democrats say the East Lansing community is in good hands, as the new mother has found replacements and is in constant communication via phone.
The highest-ranking Democrats and Republicans have been working with Granholm to write a bipartisan executive order during the past three weeks.
Next Wednesday, state budget director Mary Lannoye will present the budget proposals to members of House and Senate appropriations committees, which vote to approve the order or negotiate changes.
Taking over for Whitmer while she tends to her almost four-week-old daughter, Sydney, are State Rep. Rich Brown, D-Bessemer, who already is on the committee, filling in as minority vice chair, and State Rep. Mike Murphy, D-Lansing, who will fill the vacant spot. Murphy said protecting funding to MSU is high on his list, as parts of the university are in Lansing and 1,700 MSU employees live in his city.
"We want to make sure that budget cuts are fair, especially for our colleges and universities," Murphy said. "I want to make sure budget cuts come out fair and equal across the board."
Murphy also is working to keep cuts to state funding for cities minimal, including fire-protection grants. He said cuts now look to be in the single digits to the MSU Extension program and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, which have been proposed for complete elimination. MSU might face a 3-percent cut if the university can keep tuition raises under 3 percent.
But the decisions facing the budget are beyond the appropriations committees since the legislative leadership should have the kinks worked out by next week, said Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, which advocates for Michigan's 15 public colleges and universities.
Murphy has been fighting for the same issues in Lansing as have been advocated in East Lansing, City Manager Ted Staton said. And Staton said he feels Whitmer is still getting her voice heard.
Whitmer says she has missed only four days of session and should return Jan. 1 after missing just eight session days total.
"I'm still very active," she said.
