LANSING — The $46 billion state budget for the upcoming
fiscal year has been completed earlier than expected. The budget, which was
approved by a Republican led legislature, goes into effect on October 1 and
will see cuts in educational aid as well as state departments. According to the
Associated Press, the early approval is seen as a victory by Governor Rick
Snyder, because it gives school districts, agencies and local governments time
to plan for the upcoming fiscal year. This marks the earliest the state budget
has ever been approved in over 30 years, according to the Detroit News. But
despite the early approval, the major complaint about the new budget is that it
uses $400 million of school aid money for higher education, which is double the
amount that was used in 2010. This marks a challenge for the K-12 schools,
where layoffs are now projected.