Senator Winnie Brinks

A Michigan Court of Claims judge will hear arguments today on disputed spending in the state budget that legislative Republicans want stopped

House speaker Matt Hall said he plans on making affordability a top issue

Michigan House Republicans sued 16 state departments and challenged the legality of a formal opinion from Attorney General Dana Nessel

House Speaker Matt Hall said the lawsuit is necessary to rein in wasteful and unnecessary spending

Brinks says priorities for next year include passing a new state budget on time

A divided House and Senate are on track to set a record low this year in bills signed into law since Michigan became a state in 1837

The budget increases K-12 funding slightly and cuts economic development incentives that were championed by Governor Whitmer

The roads money comes from a mixture of budget cutting and other streams, many of which have faced their own criticism along the way to a final deal

The extension buys more time to avoid a partial government shutdown, when non-essential services would stop running

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks aid she expects rank-and-file lawmakers will concur with the spending plan