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Budget & Tax Policy

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For the past decade, Michigan has struggled to balance its budget with state revenues insufficient to fund basic services and programs.

In fact, state revenues are at their lowest point since 1970.

In response, state leaders have cut more than $4 billion in spending since 2001, including millions in funding for children and familiy services such as early education, k-12 education, abuse and neglect revention, adolescent health centers, mental health, home visitation, maternal and infant health, dropout prevention and recovery, teen parenting, family planning, infant mortality, lead poisoning prevention, and many, many more programs serving our most vulnerable populations.

Missing have been the longer-term structural solutions necessary to correct Michigan's ongoing structural deficit.

Children also must be prioritized at the federal level.  In 2011, less than one-tenth of the federal budget was spent on children.  Since 1960, the children's share of the budget has diminished by a quarter, while spending on the non-child portions of entitlement programs has more than doubled.

Investing in the next generation is critical to the future of our state and nation.
 

What Michigan's Children is Doing

Michigan's Children works to increase public awareness of the nature and scope of public investments in children and families in Michigan, and increase civic involvement in budget decision-making.  We do this by analyzing public spending and providing frequent written reports detailing the impact of state budget proposals and decisions on children and families through publications, electronic alerts and online.  See our Budget Basics library for more information about our state budget work.

With funding from First Focus and Voices for America's Children, Michigan's Children is raising awareness to ensure that kids are a priority in the federal budget and family tax policies.  Learn more about our federal work.
 

What You Can Do

Learn more about the state budget

Learn more about the federal budget

Contact your legislator and the Governor about the need to reform state revenues and ensure that they are adequate, fair and stable

Sign up for our E-Bulletins to keep connected with the latest developments and needed actions

Make a donation to Michigan's Children to support our advocacy work