State Revenue Estimates are Way Down, but Budgets Won’t Need Fixing

Below is an edited and condensed version of a Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRCM) blog post – used with permission and as reported by the CRCM:

In a Nutshell

• Updated state revenue forecasts suggest GF/GP revenue will decline by more than $4.3 billion across FY2023, FY2024, and FY2025.
• Those revenue downgrades are almost entirely attributable to the major tax reductions enacted in March and April.
• The revenue adjustments will be “much ado about nothing” for state lawmakers as they finalize the state’s budget in the coming months. The budgets that have passed the House and Senate are already largely in line with these new estimates.

Both the House and the Senate have already passed their own spending plans for the Fiscal Year (FY)2024 state budget, paving the way for conference committees to iron out the differences between the two chambers’ proposals over the coming months.

FY25 Budget Recommendations for Libraries

In the Governor’s Version – no additional support has been allocated to libraries – the budget remains flat based on FY24

In the House Version - $500,000 has been allocated to State Aid for Libraries.

In the Senate Version - $25M has been allocated to School Libraries in the School Aid Fund.

In the Senate version of the budget, there is $15.5 million allocated for “Community Revitalization and Municipal Support.” The list of permitted recipients of these grants includes “municipal library improvements.”

FREE MLA Office Furniture Up For Grabs

In two months, the MLA staff will be fully remote and that means lots of great stuff needs to be re-homed. First dibs go to our organizational library members for free.

Say Yes to Getting Involved With MLA!

The 2024-2025 Call for Ambassadors closes tomorrow!! Take advantage of this opportunity to make a difference in the Michigan library community, develop your leadership skills, grow your network, and represent MLA.

Michigan Library Advocacy Day

On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, MLA hosted our 2nd annual in-person Michigan Library Advocacy Day at the Capitol. This sold-out event brought together more than 160 library advocates representing public, school, academic, tribal, and special libraries from across Michigan. Our unified message: Strong Libraries = A Stronger Michigan!

Take Action to Support School Libraries!

In early March, State Senator Darrin Camilleri (District 4) and Senator Rosemary Bayer (District 13) introduced a package of tie-barred bills requiring a library staffed by a certified school librarian in every public school in the state. These bills replicate the house bills that were introduced in the last three legislative cycles but didn’t move any further.