A Letter From House Speaker Matt Hall

Hello,

The House Republicans are working on a new state budget that puts common sense ahead of politics, and I’m proud to say we’re going to do something Lansing hasn’t seen in well over a decade: we’re going to cut spending. We’re not raising your taxes like the Democrats did in the majority last year. And we’re not gutting essential services. Instead, we’re rolling up our sleeves and going line-by-line through the budget, rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse that’s been allowed to grow for far too long.

 

One of our top priorities is ending the practice of funding “phantom jobs” – government positions that have been vacant for years but still get a line in the budget. If no one’s on the job, taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for it. That’s just common sense, and it’s exactly how Michigan families budget around their own kitchen tables.

Families across our state live within their means every day, and I believe state government should have to do the same. By eliminating fake positions and cutting waste, we’re making sure taxpayer dollars go where they actually make a difference: fixing roads, keeping communities safe, and supporting classrooms.

 
We also made sure every department will have to justify its spending instead of just getting last year’s numbers rubber-stamped again. That’s a smarter, more transparent way to run our state government, and it keeps the focus on results, not bureaucracy.

This isn’t just a budget, it’s a reset. We’re proving you can rein in government, protect essential services, and provide value for tax dollars all at the same time. That’s the kind of responsible leadership Michigan deserves, and I’m going to keep fighting for it every single day. Thank you for standing with us,

 

Matt Hall
Speaker of the House