$300 Million Budget Deficit Threatens Michigan State Police Operations
The Michigan State Police (MSP) is now warning of a potential $300 million shortfall in its budget. The agency says this is due to its inability to access key emergency relief funds from FEMA, a consequence of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the federal government.
These funds include disaster relief grants, which have been used to cover expenses such as payroll, as well as homeland security grants that support terrorism prevention and security for non-profits. The budget cuts would completely eliminate funding for the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the MSP.
This crisis stems from a federal spending freeze signed by President Trump in January. Following this decision, 21 states, including Michigan, filed a lawsuit against the federal government, and a court ordered agencies to resume spending by March 14. However, if FEMA fails to meet this deadline, the MSP says there is no backup plan in place.
Captain Sweeney stated that he has been working closely with FEMA partners to determine when the funds will be approved. This process used to take at most a week, but there have been no approvals in March so far. Meanwhile, bills are piling up, and state police officials are concerned about being left to cover the costs.
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