State Senate Approves Temporary Budget

There’s still plenty of work to do for next year’s state budget, but Lansing is making some progress.

The Republican-led state Senate has approved a temporary, 1-month budget.

It would take effect next Thursday morning when fiscal 2010 begins.

The state House could approve the plan next Wednesday.

The temporary budget eliminates the Michigan Promise scholarship for college students.

But the House Appropriations Committee, made up mostly of Democrats, voted late yesterday to come up with $120 million to fund it.

However, no one’s found a specific revenue source for it yet, so the vote is mostly symbolic at this point.

The scholarship is $1,000 of merit-based aid per year for 4 years.

If it’s cut, nearly 100,000 Michigan students would lose their aid for this year.