LANSING, Mich. (AP) — More than 1,000 people were asked to leave campsites in Michigan state parks late Sunday, the first public signs of the state's partial government shutdown.
Some highway rest areas also closed Sunday evening, and overnight road construction projects were expected to stop at midnight.
The partial shutdown became official at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Lottery sales, liquor distribution and driver's licenses renewals were among the scores of services that could be interrupted later in the day.
Services that protect public health and safety — including prisons and state police — would keep running. But their staffs were expected to be reduced. It was not clear shortly after midnight what was happening with staffing levels.
The Michigan Legislature was trying to pass enough tax increases and cost-cutting measures to get Gov. Jennifer Granholm to sign a 30-day, emergency extension of the state's current budget. The outcome remained in doubt as several bills remained unresolved as of early Monday.
The Department of Natural Resources asked people in about 600 campsites across Michigan to depart parks by about 9 p.m. Sunday. That allowed park staff time to lock down the facilities before the official shutdown started at midnight.
Campers disrupted by the shutdown will get a refund for Sunday night, DNR officials said.
As the hour got later, it became more likely several other state services would face consequences Monday no matter what the Legislature and Granholm did later in the evening. It could become harder to notify workers that they were expected on the job Monday as time dragged on without a settlement.
About 35,000 of Michigan's 53,000-plus state workers were told to stay home Monday unless a deal was struck.
"With something like this, it's very difficult to communicate with so much uncertainty," Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said.
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-13/11912057778860.xml&storylist=newsmichigan
And how many states will have a government shutdown?
3 comments:
Illinois is on that list of possible shut downs, we have fur flying in Springfield still.
You know I thought about that, Chicago Native. And that will be a shame.
I feel bad for Michigan and I know other States will follow. I am concerned about Mr. Kitty and how this will effect him. I hope he remembers he always has a place to stay here in California if things get bad.
Michael Moore must be really mad because that's his state and does alot for Michigan to see this happen. At lease the people of Michigan now know where their Federal money is gone yes to Iraq. As more Federal money is given away the States will fall.
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