The clock is running down in Lansing, and Michigan lawmakers are staring at a deadline that could plunge the state into a partial government shutdown. In less than three weeks, the budget for the new fiscal year must be passed, yet negotiations remain stuck in a political quagmire. What should be a process rooted in governance and responsibility has devolved into a standoff that risks the stability of schools, road projects, and the very services Michigan residents rely on every day.

Senate Democrats, who hold the majority in that chamber, sounded the alarm this week. Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony of Lansing described the situation bluntly: “Whether it is work projects or how we are going to address holes related to federal tax changes, none of those pieces have been decided at this

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