LANSING – State Representative Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak) praised U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) for denouncing a budget proposal from President George W. Bush that would cut funding for a variety of police operations in Michigan.
"Our police officers put their lives on the line for us every day," Donigan said. "Cutting funding to vital police services is not the way to balance the budget. These hard-working men and women deserve to have the resources they need to fight crime."
Stabenow held a press conference last week where she said that she and other Senate Democrats would attempt to restore the funding for community policing efforts in the 2006-2007 budget. The budget proposed by President Bush would cut those funds by as much as 78 percent. It would also eliminate a federal program that state and local police, as well as prosecutors, use for a variety of investigations and prosecutions.
"I stand in support of our law enforcement officers and Senator Stabenow," Donigan said. "Police funding must be restored."