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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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