021626 ~ Whitmer Proposes State Spending Increase - Michael LaFaive

February 16, 2026 ~ Lucy Ann Lance is joined by Michael LaFaive, Senior Director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer released her eighth and final budget this past week, claiming it will save Michiganders money. But the proposal calls for new taxes to pay for a projected state spending growth from $34.4 billion to $50.2 billion, Republican leadership is vowing no new taxes, setting the scene for a big battle to come.