MI House Passes Corrections Budget

The Michigan House has approved a new prisons budget that calls for the Department of Corrections to come up with $42 million in unspecified cuts at facilities.

House members approved the $2 billion bill today by a 64–42 vote.

The measure has already passed the Republican–led Senate and should soon be headed to Governor Jennifer Granholm for her review.

Republican leaders in the Senate say the savings can be reached without closing prisons.

But a Department of Corrections spokesman says it’ll be next to impossible to achieve the savings without closings or consolidations.

Lawmakers are working to erase a $484 million budget deficit for fiscal 2011, which starts a week from this Friday.