Lawmakers voting on 2026 budget, but fate of marijuana tax uncertain

The budget votes began two days into the start of the 2026 fiscal year, after lawmakers passed a stopgap budget Oct. 1.

The budget cuts many state agencies but provides about $1.1 billion extra for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

LANSING — Michigan lawmakers unveiled a long-awaited budget deal Oct. 2 that makes funding cuts to many state agencies while allocating an extra $1.1 billion to the Michigan Department of Transportation, which is responsible for fixing state roads and bridges.

The budget proposals totaled $51.8 billion for general government and $24.1 billion for education, for a $75.9 billion budget total. But a House Fiscal Agency report shows that total artificially reduced by the way billions in federal funding is accounted for, by moving Medicaid money to contin