With less than two weeks remaining in Michigan's current fiscal year, the United Auto Workers has issued a statement raising the alarm on what a shutdown in Lansing might mean to state employees and residents. 

The state legislature has already missed key deadlines amid a stalemate in the annual budget process. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said earlier this week that her budget team will be involved in the conversations and negotiations, but "it takes 56 votes in the House, 20 votes in the Senate and one governor's signature for a bill to become law." 

State agencies have not yet publicly issued contingency plans, but this has been a closely watched scenario. 

United Auto Workers Local 6000 represents about 16,000 State of Michigan employees across 1,200 work sites in the state. The agencies they are assigned to include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of State and state corrections offices. 

"UAW Local 6000 members are on the front lines of ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable populations, providing critical services to people who depend on basic necessities essential to their survival," said UAW Local 6000 President Rachel Dickinson. "When UAW Local 6000 members aren't on the job, Michigan feels it fast — unemployment claims don't get processed, SNAP and Medicaid slow down or grind to a halt, public safety is put at risk. This isn't just paperwork; it's people's lives and the stability of our state." 

Michigan's K-12 schools also had to start the academic year with no idea how much money they will get from state funding – or if it might be disrupted. State of Michigan funding to public schools is distributed based on student enrollment numbers. 

"If we don't get our state aid money, there will be a point where payroll has to stop because people run out of money," said Piper Bogner, the superintendent of Van Dyke Public Schools in Warren said last week.   

Complications with the federal budget  

Both the federal and state government budgets start on Oct. 1, and there is also no budget from Congress. An attempt to pass a temporary budget at the federal level failed Friday with a Senate vote. 

While both government levels have experienced budget-related shutdowns in recent decades, they have not coincided on the same dates during that time. 

Furthermore, the State of Michigan shutdowns in 2007 and 2009 were brief; a shutdown threat in fall 2019 was resolved at the last minute.  

The above video first aired on Sept. 11.