LANSING — The Lansing region is set to get big money in earmarks from the state budget for the second year in a row.

While the allocations for specific projects or purposes, which were passed by the Legislature but have not yet been signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, are less than half the approximately $150 million the region received last year, the money is nearly 20% of the about $400 million granted by the Legislature.

The earmarks total about $80 million for the Greater Lansing region, and include $10 million for the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, $12.5 million for a new Ingham County juvenile justice facility and $10 million to finance county housing projects.

The budget was approved by lawmakers, with nearly unanimous Republican opposition, early Thursday. It’s a total spending plan of about $82.5 billion for the 2024-25 fiscal year, with approximately $59 billion for state government agencies and $23.4 billion for education.

Details of the budget are still being released, but some in the Greater Lansing say they are feeling grateful as news of the earmarks trickled out Thursday.

Ingham County is receiving about $40 million, which also includes about $1.5 million for a road project at Kinneville and Kirby roads in Leslie Township.

“This will help a lot,” said Gregg Todd, the county’s controller and administrator, about the total grants to the county.

Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, said this year’s budget is “fiscally responsible and also looks out for every Michigander.”

State Budget Director Jen Flood presented the budget as a return to normal after several years of sharply increased revenues, largely as a result of federal COVID-19 relief funding. The spending plan, however, has been widely criticized by school advocates who say the Legislature’s decision to freeze the K-12 per-pupil grant for 2025 at this year’s level of $9,608 would result in layoffs.

Last year’s earmarks included $40 million for the city of Lansing’s plans for an upgraded city hall and $40 million for the New Vision Lansing development, which includes a skyscraper. Those grants were credited to a bumper crop of Lansing area legislators in budget leadership roles, as well as having access to federal pandemic dollars.

This year’s earmarks include $10 million for Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, which Ingham County sought as the zoo’s operator.

Amy Morris-Hall, director of the Potter Park Zoo Society, said in a statement the zoo plans to use the money to help renovate its historic Feline and Primate Building.

It will also be used to improve Americans with Disabilities Act features and update exhibits for animals including the zoo’s tiger and snow leopard.

Morris-Hall said Anthony and state Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, have been champions of the zoo and its role in Michigan.

The Feline and Primate Building was built in 1930. It is one of two animal exhibit buildings open for school groups during the winter. It houses the zoo’s tiger, snow leopard, ring-tailed lemurs, spider monkey and other exhibits.

The money would help provide accessible viewing both indoors and out for all the exhibits, along with accessible automatic doors.

Application documents provided by Ingham County show that the Feline and Primate Building improvements are expected to cost more than $10 million and design work could start once the state appropriations were finished.

Here are other allocations in the budget for the region.

• $15 million to Ingham County for direct financing for housing programs, such as down payment assistance, affordable or workforce housing development and foreclosure prevention programs with up to $5 million for affordable or workforce housing programs in Lansing

• $12.5 million for a new Ingham County juvenile justice facility

• $10 million to Ingham County for Potter Park Zoo

• $5 million for Lansing Board of Water & Light for a steam conversion project

• $5 million for Eaton Rapids Hospital for infrastructure modernization

• $5 million for the Eaton County Intercounty Drain Project

• $4 million for a Capital Region International Airport road project

• $3.3 million to a nonprofit in Lansing to support long-term housing for recovery patients

• $3 million for an economic development organization in Lansing to support mixed-use housing

• $2.5 million for Lansing School District’s infrastructure

• $2.4 million for street repairs in East Lansing

• $2 million for DeWitt Charter Township to help a manufactured home community

• $2 million for Michigan State University’s Child Development Lab

• $1 million for Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority

• $1 million for Lansing City Clerk election facilities

• $1 million for Lansing City Rescue Mission

• $1 million for Cristo Rey Community Center health grant

• $750,000 for a nonprofit forest industry council based in Lansing, providing training and nurturing careers in the forest products industry.

• $700,000 for an Eaton County Fire Training Center

• $533,300 for the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.

• $500,000 for an LMTS community center in south Lansing.

• $500,000 for a Lansing public school program for a nonprofit organization to mentor and provide strategies for sixth- through 12th-grade students

• $500,000 for First Presbyterian Church of Lansing.

• $445,000 to support armed security, split between Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing and National Guard sites in Grayling, Battle Creek (Fort Custer) and Grand Ledge.

• $225,000 for the Michigan State Police Special Investigation Division to support cold case investigations in Lansing. The division will get $400,000 but the $225,000 figure is specifically for Lansing cases.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415

Detroit Free Press reporter Paul Egan contributed to this story

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing area has tens of millions in state budget earmarks. Here’s what’s included