Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Governor Gretchen Whitmer early Wednesday morning signed a continuation budget to keep the Michigan government open.

Last week, the Michigan House and Senate made a bipartisan agreement to pass a full state budget. The administration and legislative leaders will continue meeting to finalize and pass the budget. The continuation budget ensures state government operations continue to run and Michiganders maintain access to services as the full year budget is finalized.

“The Michigan state government will stay open,” said Governor Whitmer. “We’re on the verge of making huge progress to fix our state and local roads, feed our kids at school, cut taxes for seniors and working families, protect access to affordable health care, and keep Michiganders safe in their communities. In the meantime, state government will continue providing uninterrupted services and state employees will work today, getting things done for their fellow Michiganders.”

The continuation budget keeps state government open as the budget is finalized and passed by the legislature, ensuring Michiganders have uninterrupted access to government services, and state employees continue to get paid.

Specifically, the continuation budget allows the state to continue spending in the interim before the governor signs the full fiscal year budget into law. After the final pages of the full budget are typed, the legislature will vote. Then, legislative clerks will prepare it for transmittal to the governor for her final review and signature.