MichMash: The 2026-27 fiscal year budget process is outpacing last year
Why lawmakers are moving faster this year, what’s missing from early spending plans, and how data centers could shape future electric bills.
In this episode:
- How might the 2026 midterms be affecting the 2026-27 budget
- What’s included in the 2026-27 budget proposals?
- How are data centers affecting rate increases?
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Both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate have completed their 2026-27 fiscal year budgets and advanced them out of their respective chambers.
This week on WDET’s MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss what’s different this year. They also break down some of the major points of the budgets.
The 2026 election may have influenced the pacing a bit. Despite the improvements from last year, there is still a long way to go.
“This is the easiest part. House Republicans and Senate Democrats have drafted their budget plans without consulting the others,” Gorchow says.
One of the major parts of the budget proposals is that none of the $800 million in new tax revenue Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed is included in either budget.
Later in the show, Public Service Commission Chair Dan Scripps stops by to discuss energy costs in Michigan and data centers.
When asked whether Michigan residents were paying a reasonable amount on their electric bills, he said Michiganders pay less than residents in neighboring states.
“We’ve seen a pretty significant slowdown in the rate of growth [in rates] since 2020. Since 2020, we’ve seen residential bills being less than the national and regional average. The average customer in Michigan pays less in bills than Indiana or Ohio,” Scripps says.
Scripps says rate increases rose during a short period of time, but growth in those rates has since slowed.
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