Here at the League, we love a good budget party! In fact, if we could create a music festival around CREC, we would. That got me thinking about the songs we might be hearing from our headliners…
First, a little background: the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC) determines the anticipated General Fund and School Aid Fund revenues for the year. CREC takes place each year in January and May. (Hopefully not Killing [Us] Softly not only one time, but two times on a yearly basis.) As Rachel Richards, the League’s fiscal policy and government relations director, explained in a previous CREC blog, the conference held in January sets the basis for the governor’s budget recommendation announced typically in February, and the conference held in May sets the basis for the final budget.
So, one could say CREC tries to predict the tone of the budget–are we fiscally sound?–and in May, we check the tempo. So this week, are estimates going to be Up Where We Belong? (And I mean, Up Up Up… like, Such Great Heights), or will we be Down Bad? (And if so, hopefully we’ll be able to quickly get Out of the Woods.) Maybe we’ll be somewhere in The Middle.
Why should you CREC It Out?*
Michigan’s health starts with our budget. The League has outlined our top priorities in the 2026 People’s Budget, where we partner with community members, service providers and advocates across Michigan to develop budget and policy solutions that lift up Michiganders who have been left out of prosperity. CREC begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025 and will show us how things are looking for our state budget. The meeting will be available to watch on House TV and Senate TV so you can CREC it out yourself!
Who Will Pass The Mic?
Expect to hear from economists from the Research Seminar on Quantitative Economics from the University of Michigan, other national economists and experts in varying subjects, and state fiscal experts.
Just Can’t Get Enough
Especially after a squandered lame-duck legislative session, we want to see projections that show we have the resources to craft a state budget with meaningful investments centered on our most valuable asset: our people. Here are just a few of the priorities we’ve named in The People’s Budget:
- Create a tax system that works for the state and our people. We want a tax system that says I Can Change. We all know Something Good Can Work.
- Make sure early childhood education and care starts kids off strong and supports our workforce. Better School Days for all.
- Ensure affordable, quality healthcare access that reduces health disparities. Less time in Hospital Beds.
- Meet the basic needs of Michiganders. It’s not that we all need to be a Million Dollar Baby. But we do need safety nets and programs that ensure we have All [We] Need to Get By.
Money, Money, Money or Bills, Bills, Bills?
The important thing to remember is whether [we’re] high or low, it’s a Tightrope–we’ll find the balance with work, communication and negotiation. If we see any potential storms in our economic forecast, we’re hoping lawmakers can weather the storm (or avoid it completely) so we can enjoy Smooth Sailin’.
Countdown to CREC
To summarize, I’m going to borrow a bit from the Queen B herself:
Hope our estimates are a 10
Or at least a 9
To help our budget elev8
Way past 2027
Prep the budget for ‘26
But focus on ‘25
Better than it’s ever been be4
We’re analyzing until 3
Don’t worry, we’ll share a recap 2
Hope this CREC is No. 1
Special thanks for this blog goes to Alex Rossman, fellow musicophile and past League communications director. He started this trend with CREC Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself, and the accompanying playlist.
*Fun Fact: “Check It Out” samples “Video Killed the Radio Star” from The Buggles, which was the first music video to be played on MTV… the dawn of a new era. Why not CREC It Out to hopefully witness the dawn of a new era (or budget) here in Michigan?
Want to party with us and have CRECfest available wherever you go? CREC out our playlist!
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
