Michigan Deadline Day: Granholm Says Government Shutdown Imminent

[Purveyor]

Lottery sales and casino gambling will halt, and state parks and Secretary of State branch offices will close Monday under initial plans for a partial government shutdown sketched out Wednesday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Granholm views today as the deadline for reaching an agreement with the Legislature on a tax increase Democrats say is critical to returning the state to fiscal stability. Layoff announcements are scheduled to come Friday.

The new budget year begins on Monday, and absent an agreement to resolve a $1.75 billion budget shortfall, Granholm is set to implement the partial government shutdown.

Granholm said essential programs protecting citizens' health and safety, such as state police patrols and prisons, will continue.

"In the event the Legislature forces us into a partial government shutdown, it is our intention to continue the most vital services until a budget resolution is reached," Granholm said in a statement.

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