State Rep. Jamie Thompson on Tuesday voted for a House budget plan that brings critical funding for Downriver projects, respects taxpayers and ensures state government is spending within its means.

The $78.5 billion budget proposal funds priorities like road repairs, tax cuts to help working families, a new Public Safety Trust Fund to help protect communities and support for students without raising taxes or searching for ways to nickel and dime residents like other proposed budgets in Lansing.

“Workers and families I talk with are struggling to pay for groceries or medical bills. They can’t afford more taxes and more fees to help cover increased government spending that doesn’t address their priorities,” said Thompson, of Brownstown. “Our budget plan doesn’t follow this totally tone-deaf approach. It cuts waste to deliver better local roads, more support for students, enhanced public safety investments, and more. This is a tailored plan to deliver the best value for tax dollars for residents and communities. It’s not a plan that supports bigger government.”

Thompson specifically fought for several local investments that are part of the advancing budget plan. Included in the plan is $5 million for upgrades for Wayne County’s emergency operations center, $1.5 million for upgrades to the city of Rockwood’s wastewater treatment plant, and $1 million to cover the cost of a new fire truck in the city of Flat Rock. A total of $27 million within the budget plan would also go to rail-grade separation projects – an issue Thompson has prioritized for the region since becoming an elected representative.

The budget comes after a previously passed House K-12 budget plan from June that allocates $21.9 billion to schools – more than the Senate or governor’s respective plans. The House’s K-12 plan increases per-pupil funding from the current $9,608 to $12,000 and moves away from Lansing’s one-size-fits-all mandates by loosening restrictions on how schools can use the funding. This flexibility will allow school districts to meet their unique needs and put additional resources into free school lunch for all students, better transportation options, new textbooks, before and after school programs, and more.

Thompson underscored House Republicans’ diligent efforts to scale back government bloat and redirect available funds to pressing issues. The governor has added 1,500 more state bureaucrats over the last two years and has proposed another 900 positions this year. The House budget cuts 4,300 “phantom” positions that state departments ask for within a budget process but don’t fill, freeing up $560 million and using it on roads and schools. The House budget also eliminates $1.27 billion in political giveaways that have been handed out year after year with no accountability.

“There was unprecedented transparency for taxpayers as we worked on this budget plan,” Thompson said. “We held over 130 hours of hearings and every local funding request was vetted by a House committee. We went line by line to find savings for taxpayers. This is a responsible, balanced budget that is going to position workers, families and our state for success.”

The budget plan now advances to the Senate for consideration.