Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s $88 billion budget proposal for the next year is being called a non-starter by many Michigan Republican lawmakers, including state Senator Aric Nesbitt.

The Senate Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate tells us the state budget under Whitmer has grown from $55 billion when she took office to nearly $90 billion under this proposal. He says the governor reaches her goals through new taxes and tax increases, something he calls madness that needs to stop.

“People are hurting around the state,” Nesbitt said. “Families are, job creators are, and our kids are. We’ve got to shake up the state of school in Lansing so that we can make it more affordable for Michigan families. This budget doesn’t do that.”

Whitmer says the proposed tax on cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine pouches would raise $332 million for the state. Her plan also includes a $0.25 per wager tax on sports betting. Nesbitt says he opposes all proposed tax increases and will fight them.

“The time for tax increases is not now. Michigan’s unaffordable with the highest energy cost, highest insurance cost in the Midwest, which leads to high food costs. We need to make it more competitive so that people can actually make it here in Michigan.”

Nesbitt says the state’s focus should be on economic growth and education.

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall says there will be no tax increases in the final budget. Nesbitt wouldn’t predict if this budgeting process will be as protracted as it was last year, when Republicans and Democrats haggled right down to the wire.