As I’m writing this column, the state budget deadline is just three weeks away. That’s because a relatively new law moved the budget deadline up to July 1^st, but there are no penalties if that date is missed, which has happened before. The real deadline is Oct. 1, which is the start of the new fiscal year.

The state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, already passed its entire proposed budget. The Republican-led House has not.

Why is the House taking so long? It’s a matter of priorities and processes.

The Senate’s proposed school budget is basically status quo plus a 2 percent bump. The Senate’s general omnibus budget is basically status quo plus 3 percent.

The problem is that the status quo is not sustainable. State spending under Gov. Whitmer has already gone up far faster than inflation.

The very first budget signed by Gov. Whitmer took effect Oct. 1, 2019. If you exclude federal dollars, the total amount in that first budget was $34.7 billion. Our current fiscal year budget (which is the sixth signed by the governor) stands at $46.8 billion. (Again, that’s excluding federal dollars). That’s a 34 percent increase in just six years.

Put another way, the budget under Gov. Whitmer today is $2.5 billion more than what it would be if the budget only went up at the rate of inflation. (And we’ve had A LOT of inflation since Oct. 2019.)

Given that our budget has already grown much faster than the rate of inflation, is continuing the status quo and just adding another 3 percent the right move? I argue that no, it’s not.

Let’s consider a couple more pieces of information. From July 2019 through July 2024, Michigan lost 68,000 residents. At the same time, Michigan’s public school enrollment dropped by 76,000 students. How can a state that is ranked eighth in population loss, and losing tens of thousands of public school students, support 34 percent budget growth?

Michigan had a $9 billion surplus (largely due to leftover federal covid dollars) at the start of 2023. All that extra money could have gone toward fixing the roads, but it didn’t. It got squandered.

The School Aid Fund, meanwhile, has grown by 37 percent since October 2019. It grew about $2 billion more than what it would be if it had only gone up at the rate of inflation. That figure doesn’t even include the $5.6 billion in covid funds received by Michigan schools. So in total, that’s an extra $7.6 billion above the rate of inflation for Michigan’s public schools since Oct. 2019, while enrollment is down 76,000 students.

Let’s tally it all up. When you add the $9 billion surplus which got spent, and the $5.6 billion in federal covid funds for schools, total state spending is up 77 percent since Oct. 2019. That’s an amazing amount of spending growth.

The Republican-led House is taking time to ensure all of this spending is a) sustainable and b) spent on the right priorities, like fixing the “damn” roads and public safety.

Michigan has burned through a lot of cash in the last six years. It’s important that we all catch our breath, just a bit, and take a close look at what is needed for the future. Adding 3% to the status quo is a bit simpler, quite frankly, than what is required.

State Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills represents Michigan House District 55, which includes the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills, and part of Oakland Township. You can reach him by calling 517-373-1792 or by sending an email to marktisdel@house.mi.gov