Michigan leaders took steps overnight to invoke a continuation budget to temporarily keep the state government operating.

The state was at risk of a government shutdown on Oct. 1 as the Senate and House worked to reach a deal. Officials reached a bipartisan agreement on Sept. 25. The legislature will vote on the budget once it has been finalized this week, officials say.

"The Michigan state government will stay open," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release issued early Wednesday. "We're on the verge of making huge progress to fix our state and local roads, feed our kids at school, cut taxes for seniors and working families, protect access to affordable health care, and keep Michiganders safe in their communities. In the meantime, state government will continue providing uninterrupted services and state employees will work today, getting things done for their fellow Michiganders." 

The continuation budget is meant as an interim step until the full fiscal year budget is signed into law.

Officials say the upcoming annual budget "will ensure top priorities for both Democrats and Republicans are included in the bipartisan budget," Whitmer's office said in a news release. That includes funding for state and local roads, decreasing taxes, protecting Medicaid, and providing free breakfast and lunch for students.

"Our goal was really to invest in education, public safety, protecting the most vulnerable, fixing the damn roads, and do it in a fiscally responsible way," said Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township.

House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, said, "We also generated some revenue to try and get a sustainable solution for roads and making sure critical programs like our school meals program stays in place."

House Speaker Matt Hall issued the following statement:

"We made progress over the weekend eliminating waste, fraud and abuse so we can finally fund our top needs as a state. House Republicans have been fighting from day one to restore school safety and mental health, eliminate ghost employees, and bring the Hall Ethics Accountability and Transparency plan permanently to Lansing, and now we are seeing movement on these major priorities. With these reforms, this agreement is going to lower the cost of government and give Michigan families better value for their tax dollars. We are working hard to draft these bills now so we can lock in this plan and get state government moving in the right direction."   

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks also released a statement:

 "Michiganders deserve a state budget that puts their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to good use, and I'm proud that we will be voting on a product that secures free breakfast and lunch for kids, protects Medicaid, secures meaningful funding for families and communities while also delivering on roads. Residents can rest assured that we are working in tandem and share a commitment to getting the budget done as soon as the bills are ready."