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House Republican have moved to unilaterally cut up to $645 million from the state budget.  But is that legal?  This week on MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Zach Gorchow talk with Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to make sense of it all. Plus a look at changes in the race for governor and Secretary of State.

In this episode:

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist drops out of the race for governor and into the Secretary of State’s race

The state of the governor’s race

The battle over unilateral budget cuts

Overview

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist has ended his campaign for governor and has launched an effort to become Michigan’s next Secretary of State instead.  Gongwer’s Zach Gorchow says Gilchrist’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“He had low name recognition and wasn’t raising anywhere near enough money. Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state, has been the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for months, and Gilchrist’s exit doesn’t change anything on the Democratic side.”

The news does have implications for the race for Secretary of State as Gilchrist joins an already crowded Democratic field.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are dealing with a provision in state law that allows a single legislative committee to cancel certain types of spending. House Republicans used this mechanism like never before – to cancel up to $645 million in spending.

Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed suit saying the legislation allowing the move is unconstitutional.

Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan tells us the central issue is around the appropriation process for “work projects.”

“A work project is an authorization to carry forward appropriations into a future fiscal year.”

He says the legislature should be thinking ahead on the issue, because the process could be in jeopardy, depending on how courts rule. Schneieder says lawmaker should be saying to themselves,  “How do we get together and fix this so we have a process that works in the future.”

In Michigan, hundreds of millions of dollars that people are counting on remain frozen.

Last year’s state budget included roughly $645 million in “work-project” funding for things like local roads, public safety, and community services. But in December, House Republicans voted to block it. With that money still on hold, projects aren’t moving.

The Democrat-controlled Senate voted to restore the funding. 

This week, Attorney General Dana Nessel said the committee didn’t have the constitutional authority to do that, calling it an improper “legislative committee veto.” 

House Republicans are considering a court challenge. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers debate tax breaks for data centers, how cannabis revenue should be used, and the regulation of consumable hemp products—decisions that affect utility bills, road repairs, and small businesses.

Politics reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, Colin Jackson, joined Robyn Vincent to break down the constitutional fight over the funding freeze and what it reveals about power, process, and everyday life in Michigan.

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As we get closer to the midterm elections, races for the Michigan U.S. Senate and House seats prove that Michigan is stepping closer into the national spotlight. In this episode of MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss Michigan’s power as a swing state with Pluribus News Founder and Editor Reid Wilson.

Plus, the state budget drama continues as cancellations in funding disrupts multiple work projects. Cheyna and Zach debrief on the latest in Lansing.

In this episode:

• How did $645 million in work projects get cancelled?
• What role does Michigan play in the U.S. Senate and House majorities?
• What’s ahead for the 2028 presidential race?

Cancelled work projects

State law empowers the Michigan House Appropriation Committee and the Michigan Senate Appropriation Committee to cancel some types of work projects. This is what happened that caused $645 million to be cancelled in work projects. Gorchow says that this sent shockwaves across the capital, and that nothing like this has ever happened.

The Republican majority committee says they did this to cut spending, but Democrats and even some Republicans disapprove of these actions. There might be a supplemental appropriation bill which would include negotiations and discussion to possibly restore some of this funding.

2028 presidential race

A lot of focus is on the US Senate and House seats in Michigan. But Reid also brought up how the 2028 Presidential Race might feature one of Michigan’s own.

“Just because Governor Whitmer will says she is not running for president, she’s not saying I will not run for president,” he points out.

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