GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law the state budget for 2018.

 

House Bill 4313, the education omnibus, and H.B. 4323, the general omnibus, were signed into law July 14 at the Kent Intermediate School District Career Tech Center, which trains students from Kent and Barry counties in professional trades such as mechatronics, aviation and avionics, culinary arts and 3-D design.

According to a statement from the Governor’s office, the investment, including federal funding, totals $56.5 billion. “I am proud to say we can again celebrate our success in getting the budget signed well ahead of the new fiscal year,” Snyder said. “With significant investments in health care, education, public safety, infrastructure, natural resources and our economy, this budget maintains our longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility while making critical investments that will continue moving Michigan forward.”

State Rep. Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville), who serves as chair of the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, said the budget addresses issues important to the communities he serves. He praised passage of the agriculture budget in the House, which he said is vital to farmers and producers in Ottawa County. “With the funding for vital agricultural programs, we can maintain the robust industry that is so prevalent and important to the local economy,” Victory stated after the House passed the legislation.

Although the final budget that was signed into law was more than a $1 million less than what the House passed, it was largely the same overall.

The agriculture budget signed into law was, for a gross amount – including federal funds – $104.9 million. The FY 2017 gross amount was $94.1 million; the latest budget represents an 11.5 percent increase in funding. Much of the funding increase is going toward more staff for enforcement activities in the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and similar activities.

There were some funding cuts as well, although most areas received increases. The food and dairy safety quality assurance program received additional funding of $671,300, which will among other things pay for an additional fulltime employee to assist producers in implementing federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements. According to one budget document, funding increases related to FSMA implementation programs in this budget amount to a total of $980,000 and four full-time positions across several line items.

The milk quality assurance program will receive $166,000 in increased funding, and includes one additional full-time employee to reflect an additional workload related to changes in the federal reinspection requirement to ensure compliance with the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.

The animal industry and animal health and disease response program will receive $164,700 in increased funding and will include one new full-time employee.

One area that will be cut is the Animal Industry Initiative. This line supports the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture, a consortium of animal industry organizations that includes Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan State University AgBioResearch and MDARD.

Funding is for research and extension projects related to animal agriculture.

This line was new in the 2016-17 budget and is being cut by $500,000. It will continue to be funded in the amount of $399,000.

The bovine tuberculosis wildlife risk mitigation program will receive $1 million for its activities. The pesticide and plant pest management program will receive an additional $284,400 and two more full-time employees to help producers implement FSMA requirements.

The environmental stewardship/Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program will take a cut of $259,999, but will nonetheless add two additional full-time employees. It will retain $1.5 million in restricted Freshwater Protection fund revenue that is in the current budget.

The Farmland and Open Space Preservation program will get a $120,000 cut but will retain its three full-time positions and $305,600 from the Agriculture Preservation Fund.