Michigan Matters: Clock ticks on Michigan state budget as regional transit is discussed
With days left to work out a budget compromise or face a state government shutdown, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall updates the latest, while we also focus on regional transit with leaders on this week's Michigan Matters.
Hall talked about conversations with State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and his level of optimism about negotiations between the two sides. He also talked about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her role.
Hall discussed education and funding for school districts, anxiously awaiting the outcome of budget talks.
Then Tiffany J. Gunter, General Manager of SMART; Ben Stupka, Executive Director of RTA; and Robert Cramer, Executive Director of Transit Detroit (including DDOT/People Mover), talk about the state of public transit in Metro Detroit, which has seen an increase in ridership.
They also talked about funding from Lansing to support transit and why Metro Detroit is different from the rest of the state.
(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD).
(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).