Gov. Jennifer Granholm might begin issuing her final line-item budget vetoes as soon as today, possibly eliminating state funding for the agricultural extension service run through Michigan State University.

She has four more days to sign the last six spending bills before a continuation budget expires at midnight Saturday. Granholm has no agreement with Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, over whether to raise revenues to save school aid and other programs from the budget ax, and the two leaders traded barbs over that again Tuesday.

Granholm said at a news conference that she will sign budgets for higher education, State Police, general government, community health, human services, and energy, labor and economic growth later this week.
"I'll do it certainly before my deadline. There will be no government shutdown. There will be vetoes," she said Tuesday.

Asked whether she will veto MSU Extension funding in the higher education spending bill, Granholm said she hasn't made final decisions on line-item vetoes. She suggested a compromise on higher education spending might include finding money for cooperative extension and Promise Scholarships for college students, a program she supports that was eliminated by the Legislature.