As lawmakers, we owe it to Michiganders, local governments and schools to provide them with a budget that is balanced and approved on time and that prioritizes the programs, services and other things they care about and rely on most.

Last week I spoke about my support of a joint decision made by legislative leaders and the governor to postpone discussions about formulating a long-term solution to fix our roads in favor of first approving the state’s next fiscal year budget, which we are constitutionally required to have enacted by Oct. 1.

Unfortunately, the governor chose to walk away from the budget meetings that she had only days prior agreed to. Despite this, I remain confident we will have a new budget in place by the deadline, and members of the Senate and the House have continued to meet and reconcile budgetary differences so that we can pass a balanced budget and send it to the governor for her consideration.

My colleagues and I are committed to continuing the progress that has been established in recent years of budgets increasing investments in vital programs and services, like our children’s education, public safety, infrastructure needs, and protecting the state’s natural resources, including and especially our drinking water supply.

With only a couple of weeks until the budget deadline, the Legislature is doing its part to pass a balanced spending plan on time. I am hopeful that the governor will lend her support and sign the budget to avoid an unnecessary government shutdown.