Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned Tuesday that Michigan faces more instability if lawmakers cannot pass a budget by the Sept. 30 deadline. Speaking at the Capitol with Senate Democrats at her side, Whitmer tied the standoff to broader economic stress already hitting the state’s workforce and industries.

“Failing to get this done means more uncertainty, higher costs and less jobs,” Whitmer said in a 20-minute address. Her remarks came with just under two weeks to avoid the state’s first government shutdown since 2009.

Whitmer’s speech highlighted three priorities: road funding, education, and public safety. She also renewed calls for new economic development incentives to replace a business-attraction fund that will stop receiving automatic deposits in the new fiscal year. “No tool is perfect,

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