State Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, is promising major changes to the Senate’s $159 million 2026 budget proposal for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, saying it expands government and injects partisan politics into state spending.

Borton, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development, said the Senate’s plan contradicts the governor’s call for fiscal restraint. “It’s like the Senate heard the governor say we need to make cuts and did the exact opposite,” Borton said Tuesday.

The Senate proposal would increase MDARD’s budget by more than $2.5 million from 2025 levels and add 25 new full-time positions. It also includes $250,000 for a new tariff monitoring program and a placeholder for future tariff relief grants—items Borton says don’t belong in a state budget.

“Not only did they grow state government in both scope and size, but they’re also playing politics and trying to weaponize our tax dollars against the Trump Administration,” Borton said. “Tariffs are designed to bring jobs and purchase power back to the U.S. and are, at their core, a federal issue.”

Borton warned against using Michigan taxpayer dollars to challenge federal trade policy, arguing that state lawmakers should instead focus on real issues affecting local farmers.

“The Senate should be less focused on what the president’s doing and more focused on how to help farmers here in Michigan, especially considering state departments are famous for long wait times, inconsistent enforcement, and unclear regulations,” he said.

Borton’s remarks were made amid broader concerns about the Senate’s overall budget approach. As previously reported in The Midwesterner, the Senate’s $84.6 billion plan was passed before updated revenue estimates were released, resulting in a nearly $1 billion gap between projected revenue and proposed spending. The House, meanwhile, proposed a more conservative $80.9 billion budget aligned with updated financial forecasts.

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In March 2025, the Republican-led House passed a $20 billion interim budget to maintain essential services beyond July 1, should budget negotiations extend past the fiscal year deadline. This plan aims to fund critical services, including schools, local law enforcement, and other vital operations.