Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on March 18, 2003, the House version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003-2004 Department of Community Health budget. This appropriates $9.078 billion in gross spending (funded from all sources, including state restricted fund and federal pass-through dollars), compared to $9.730 billion, which was the FY 2002-2003 amount passed by the legislature in 2002, excluding any supplemental appropriations, line-item vetoes, or later cuts. Of this, $2.648 billion will come from the General Fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the amount enrolled in 2002 of $2.477 billion. The House struck out a $60 million transfer from the tobacco lawsuit settlement fund, replacing this with General Fund dollars. The tobacco money is currently used to fund the $2,500 Merit Award college scholarship program. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed reducing the scholarships to $500 and using the savings to fund this budget. (Note: Gov. Granholm’s proposed budget for this department is House Bill 4413 .)Much more information on Michigan’s budget is available at Hot Topics: Michigan’s Budget Challenge at www.mackinac.org/4964

The vote was 63 in favor, 44 opposed and 2 not voting

(House Roll Call 57 at House Journal 28)

Click here to view bill details.

Keep the original amt. of Merit scholarships under the conditions of merit only, NOT NEED.Also change the conditions of merit to include National tests of ACT and SAT due to inbuilt failure of MEAP test.

Rep. Farrah, having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following
statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on the Department of Community Health budget, House Bill 4392 (H-1), because this bill creates a structural deficit. The Governor sent us a balanced budget and we should send one back to her. The House Republicans shifted money around in this budget and created a $60 million hole in our state budget. When our state is facing a $1.7 billion deficit we cannot afford to put the health care of our children, our parents, and those most in need at risk by passing a bill that creates further deficits in our budget."

Reps. Sak, Dennis, Anderson, Plakas, Paletko, Byrum, Accavitti, Phillips, Hunter, Smith, Minore, Brown, Gillard, Jamnick, Murphy, Lipsey and Hopgood, having reserved the right to explain their protest against the passage of the
bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
While there are numerous programs in this budget that I enthusiastically support, such as an expansion in the Elder Prescription Insurance Coverage (EPIC), respite care, mental health funding, the Home and Community Based Waiver,
I voted "No" on the Department of Community Health budget, House Bill 4392 (H-1), because this bill creates a structural deficit. The Governor sent us a balanced budget and we should send one back to her. The House Republicans shifted money around in this budget and created a $60 million "hole" in our state budget. When our state is facing a $1.7 billion deficit we cannot afford to put the health care of our children, our parents, and those most in need at risk by passing a bill that creates further deficits in our budget."

Rep. Law, having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
HB 4392 contains a $60 million dollar deficit. This is not a fiscally responsible bill."

Rep. Spade, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
While there are numerous programs in this budget that I enthusiastically support, such as an expansion in the Elder Prescription Insurance Coverage (EPIC), respite care, mental health funding, the Home and Community Based Waiver,
I voted ‘No’ on the Department of Community Health budget, House Bill 4392 (H-1), because this bill creates a structural deficit. The Governor sent us a balanced budget and we should send one back to her. As passed today, this budget contains and created a $60 million "hole". When our state is facing a $1.7 billion deficit we cannot afford to put the health care of our children, our parents, and those most in need at risk by passing a bill that creates further deficits in
our budget. As currently written, the DCH budget proposes to use phantom dollars for phantom services."

Rep. Vagnozzi, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted No on House Bill 4392 because it is fiscally irresponsible as it followsmone the practices of the past
administration of spending beyond our revenues which got us into the $1.7 billion deficit. I am a strong supporter of health programs contained in the programs in the bill I cannot vote for because it creates a $60 million hole in the state budget and threatens the loss of another $75 nillion in federal fundsWhen our state is facing.a $1.7 billion deficit we cannot afford to put health care of our children, our parents, and those most in need at risk by passing a bill that creates further deficits in our budget."

Rep. Meisner, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following
statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
It is with some regret that I cast a no vote on HB 4392, a bill to provide funding for the State of Michigan's Department of Community Health. This is the department responsible for many of state government's most important functions, including the Elder Prescription Drug Insurance Coverage Program, the provision of healthcare services for children and senior citizens, and essential programs to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment services for the most vulnerable among us. The basis for my regret is that despite the great value of items in this budget, including a well-deserved increase in funding for innovative drug treatment courts, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have put these programs into severe jeopardy by suggesting that we continue down the path of fiscal irresponsibility
that has put our state's budget into the mess we face today. My Republican colleagues would have us pass a bill that is $60 million out of balance. This in response to the proposal put forth by Governor Granholm, which balances our
budget and puts us—for the first time in twelve years—on the path towards good fiscal health and responsible fiscal stewardship. Once again I must call on the wisdom of my colleagues in the Senate to fix the mess created by the House.
The people of Michigan deserve better than this."

Rep. Condino, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following
statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on HB4392 as this bill creates a $60 million dollar budget "hole" that would "gut" funding to those most served by medical and health care services in our state. It would violate my oath of office to support a budget bill which
creates an unbalanced budget while putting our seniors and indigents at risk of further losing the health care services they are most in need of. I am very supportive of negotiating ways of preserving merit scholarship funding, but not
jeopardizing health care to the poor and disabled."

Rep. Bieda, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
It is with deep disappointment at the fiscal irresponsibility of this legislative body that I feel compelled to vote
against this bill. We are Constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget. This bill contains a $60 million dollar hole with no provisions for funding. Our constituents demand fiscal accountability. We cannot engage in ENRON style accounting practices, merrily spending money we do not have, that does not exist elsewhere, and with no serious plans,
proposals or even ideas from where to draw this money. When a boat is taking on water, you don't drill more holes in it. This bill relies on phantom dollars, and seriously jeopardizes health care in this state by continuing a structural deficit that has resulted in a nearly $2 billion shortfall. Purposely writing a check that bounces is a crime in this state.
Here, this legislature is essentially doing the same thing. We owe it to our communities to honestly address the budget mess. HB 4392 as passed by the House is a seriously flawed and perhaps devious attempt to undermine and destroy
health care programs that our citizens rely and depend on. Understanding that this is but a first step in the budget
process, I hope that this legislature gets its act together and can pass a balanced budget that honestly addresses the
concerns of the people of this state. I trust that we will."