Without the benefit of a politically friendly Legislature for the final two years of her tenure, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer skipped Thursday’s rollout of an $83.5 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal,

State Budget Director Jen Flood presented Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed spending plan that will fund state agencies next year.

Beyond a historic 4.1% hike in per-student funding and a bid to intensify academic transparency, the list of recommendations would largely uphold existing priorities and programs for 1.4 million public school students.

The increase would generate approximately $80 million for environmental remediation, brownfield redevelopment, local waste management and recycling.