The state could be headed toward a two-year budget cycle.
Governor Rick Snyder and many lawmakers say they need to start thinking farther into the future when putting together a budget.
However, creating a two-year budget cycle would require an amendment to the Michigan Constitution. The Legislature would have to put it on the ballot for voters to approve.
State Senator John Proos says that could and should happen, but it will take time. He says in the meantime lawmakers can create a two-year projection:
"That’s something that every year instead of scrambling to fix a budget hole and not really telling the whole story about what our budget will look like out into the future, this will give us the time instead to say our revenue picture and expenditure picture is going to look like X. Once we’ve made that determination, then we can say are we actually getting value for the tax dollars that we’re spending."
Proos is expected to introduce a measure that would amend the constitution to create a two-year budget cycle as well as a part-time Legislature.
Proos says for now it’s important to complete work on the budget by Governor Snyder’s May 31st deadline.