We sleep through Michigan government shutdown

The Michigan State government was shut down between midnight and 4 A.M. this morning when a budget compromise was finally reached between the Democratic governor and the Republican state legislature:

Mining Journal:

Government shutdown ends

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state Legislature agreed early Monday to raise the income tax and expand the sales tax to services in a historic deal with the governor that quickly ended a partial state government shutdown.

For just over four hours early Monday, fewer state police were on Michigan highways, campgrounds were closed, road construction projects and lottery sales were stopped, and more service interruptions were on the horizon for later in the day until the final pieces were sent to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Applause broke out in Granholm’s office at the Capitol as soon as the final vote was announced at 4:18 a.m. The deal prompted Granholm to call off the partial shutdown of government that began at 12:01 a.m.

Like many of you, I was worried sick about this and barely able to sleep through the entire shutdown, even if such shutdown offered a few side benefits - like - an unofficial extension of the the trout season with the DNR not showing up for work. Still, a good compromise was reached, with some real spending cuts, and modest temporary increase in taxes to balance the budget. Looks like divided government even works better on a state level.

Oh wait.. wrong blog.