Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Signs Record Breaking Education Budget

On Thursday Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an education budget that includes a record $24.3 billion investment to support the state’s students.

A notable headline from the budget is the 1.4 million students who will now be guaranteed free breakfast and lunch at school. The record-breaking budget also includes the highest per-pupil funding in the state's history, funds for tutoring and after-school programming, and new support for students' mental health.

Democratically run states across the country are leading the charge to provide universal free school meals to children, but the policy is facing pushback from Republicans.

The Republican Study Committee (of which some three-quarters of House Republicans are members) released its desired 2024 budget last month, in which the party declared its priority to eliminate the free school lunch programs. Why? Because they’re evil.

While Democrats pass historic education budgets Republicans like Ron DeSantis are overseeing new education curriculums that require teachers to instruct their students that enslaved people “developed skills” that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

The contrast is an important reminder of what’s at stake for our country as the 2024 election cycle continues to ramp up.