Michigan to avoid government shutdown as leaders promise new budget ‘this week’

Michigan will avoid a state government shutdown .

In a joint statement Tuesday evening, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks assured the public that government operations will continue Wednesday and that a new budget will be passed sometime “this week.”

The announcement comes just hours before the midnight deadline Tuesday to pass a new budget to avoid a government shutdown .

In the statement, the elected leaders provided no information about how the state government would avoid a shutdown without a new budget in place Wednesday, the start of the state’s fiscal year.

It’s possible a new budget is passed yet Tuesday evening or that lawmakers pass a temporary continuation budget, like the Legislature did in 2009 to avoid a shutdown.