Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield Tuesday asking them to send a budget proposal before going to the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference this weekend.
“I understand that you intend to head to the Republican Party Conference this weekend from September 20th through the 22nd at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.I am writing to respectfully ask that prior to socializing with Mike Pence, Betsy DeVos, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Haley Barbour, you complete all of the necessary work to get your budgets passed and sent to me with time for my team and me to review them and get them signed by September 30th,” Whitmer said in her letter.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of walking away from budget negotiations. Today, she told he and Speaker Lee Chatfield to pass their budgets before their "weekend getaway" for the MIGOP conference on Mackinac Island with Mike Pence. pic.twitter.com/cf9L0pDZ19
— Susan J. Demas 🏔 (@sjdemas) September 17, 2019
Also in her letter, she criticized Republicans from taking a two-month Summer vacation and not coming to the table to negotiate.
However, Shirkey and Chatflied told reporters Tuesday that both Michigan’s House and Senate plan to finish conference committees this week and vote on their budget plans next week. Also, Chatfield said he tried to reach out to Whitmer over the weekend, but did not meet up, according to the Detroit News.
This Republican leadership conference brings conservative leaders from across the country to “discuss solutions to the critical issues facing our nation,” according to the conference’s website. Chatfield and Shirkey are participating in a discussion panel talking about Michigan’s growth, opportunity and prosperity on Saturday.
“Quite frankly, I think our personal impasse that we are at on this budget right now is silly,” Chatfield said. “And I think it’s time for people in this town to step up, show some real leadership and negotiate in good faith.”
Shirkey has not heard from the governor since budget talks stalled. Last week, the Senate Majority leader released a statement after budget negotiations stalled when a compromise for the gas tax could not be agreed to. In his statement, he noted Whitmer’s position on how to fix the roads could not be accommodated.
On Monday, 48,000 Michigan state workers received notifications that they could be temporarily laid off if a budget does not get agreed to by October 1.
– – –
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Battleground State Newsand The Michigan Star. Follow Zachery on Twitter.
