State Senate Leader Hits Back on Budget, Roads Impasse: “There Is No Budget Crisis”
Gov. Whitmer wants lawmakers to send her a budget that includes a road funding plan that significantly increases revenue for infrastructure, but state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey says the budget and road funding are separate issues.
Tensions are rising in Lansing and Governor Gretchen Whitmer faces off with Republican Legislative leaders on the budget impasse.
Gov. Whitmer wants lawmakers to send her a budget that includes a road funding plan that significantly increases revenue for infrastructure.
On Detroit Today last week, Whitmer accused Republican leaders of dragging their feet on the budget and roads, failing to offer any serious solutions. She criticized them for leaving Lansing for the summer without passing a budget.
State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) joins Detroit Today to respond to those criticisms and talk about what’s happening with the roads and budget.
“There is no budget crisis,” says Shirkey. “It will be done and sent to my governor in plenty of time.”
But Shirkey says it will not include a new road funding fix.
“We worked all summer trying to do so,” he says, pushing back against the claim that legislative leaders took the summer off. “We’ve offered her four different proposals in writing.”
The state Senate leader refuses, however, to offer details of those plans because he says leaders agreed to keep those negotiations private.
Shirkey claims leaks from the negotiations are spreading misinformation, leaks he says are not coming from his office. He says he believes they are “leaks more closely associated with my governor.”
