Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will host a news conference Monday morning on the state's 2020 budget.
- UPDATE: This news conference has been canceled due to a scheduling change, Whitmer's office announced late Sunday.
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Whitmer's office said it has been more than six months since the governor introduced her budget, which includes $2.5 billion in new revenue per year to fix the damn roads, improve education and skills training, and clean up Michigan's drinking water.
"Instead of working with the governor to negotiate a bipartisan budget agreement, the Republican-controlled legislature took a two-month summer vacation," reads a statement from Whitmer's office. "Now, with just three weeks to go before the September 30th budget deadline, Republicans are taking actions on the budget without input from the executive branch that are leading the state toward a Trump-style government shutdown, which will hurt Michigan schools, families, and business."
- The news conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.
- ClickOnDetroit plans to stream it live.
Whitmer, Republican legislators go head-to-head
There's a war of words in Lansing, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer came out swinging against the Republican-controlled-Legislature last week.
Michigan is about one month from the budget deadline and both sides are trying to prevent a shutdown. Whitmer held a news conference demanding the Legislature pass a $60 billion budget as soon as possible.
"We have to get this right now. It's time for them to offer up something that is a legitimate alternative. Saying no is not leadership," Whitmer said.
Senate Majority leader Mike Shirkey said they agreed not to talk about proposal specifics in public. Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield agree it's time for Whitmer to split road funding from the budget and negotiate on two different tracks.
"First Gov. Whitmer demanded a 45 cent per gallon gas tax hike," said Gideon D'Assandro, a spokesperson for Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield. "Then she refused to accept anything but 45 cents more per gallon. And now she's trying to take the state into a shutdown over her 45 cents a gallon. The Legislature is taking action to give Michigan students, families and workers the budget they deserve before it's too late. Gov. Whitmer is the only one talking about a government shut down right now as she continues to hold the budget hostage over her extreme gas tax agenda."