Hall Suggests More Cuts To Fund Roads Following May CREC Numbers

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/20/2025) House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) suggested Tuesday further cuts to “corporate handouts,” arts and cultural grants, the COVID-19 task force and an estimated 2,900 vacant government worker positions to make up the $320.2 million difference between January and May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conferences (CREC).

Michigan House Speaker seeks more budget cuts to fund road repairs.

In January, CREC principals estimated that Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 would have $1.194 billion more to work with than they thought the previous year, but on Friday, principals estimated that number to be $320.2 million less.

Hall’s roads plan counted on about $600 million of the January CREC estimate, and today during a press conference gave suggestions on where the $320.2 million could be made up.

His suggestions include cutting remaining corporate handouts from the business attraction and community development fund for $100 million and the entrepreneurship ecosystem for $15 million, ending other programs like $22 million for the COVID-19 Task Force, $11 million for arts and cultural grants and $28 million for the Office of Global Michigan, and $150 million to eliminate 2,900 vacant government jobs that Hall called “phantom employees.” 

All together, these cuts come to $326 million. Hall said the House budget will reverse the income tax hike, bring government workers back and fix local roads without increasing taxes.