State Rep. Brian BeGole, of Antrim Township, issued the following statement after a budget proposal presentation from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s team for the upcoming fiscal year beginning Oct. 1:

“Once again, the governor and her team remain committed to taking more from taxpayers to support unsustainable government spending. She wants to take hundreds of millions of dollars from our state’s Rainy Day fund that is supposed to be used for emergencies. A budget that isn’t as costly as last year’s is not an emergency. Temporary federal COVID dollars expiring when we knew they were set to expire is not an emergency. She’s also proposing more taxes that will take more money out of hardworking people’s pockets.

“House Republicans paved the way for responsible budgeting within the current budget. We fought to cut waste, fraud and abuse to help support our students, protect our communities and most vulnerable, and provide historic funding for local roads. We secured financial relief for Michigan workers and seniors with no tax on tips, overtime and social security. We identified and got rid of over 2,000 ghost employee positions that weren’t filled but were costing taxpayers money since they had been budgeted.

“We did all this and came in with a budget that cost less than the previous year. This provided value for tax dollars and returned money to taxpayers. This work must continue in the year ahead, and House Republicans will lead the way.”