Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall addresses infighting within Republican caucus
Infighting within Michigan House Republicans has state Rep. Jamie Thompson threatening not to return until the issue is addressed, all while House Speaker Matt Hall says he's considering not working with the governor on the state budget.
Hall says he would instead negotiate directly with state Senate leadership.
At a weekly press conference on Thursday, Hall addressed issues between Thompson, R-Brownstown Township, and Rep. Jim DeSana, R-Carleton. He wouldn't say whether DeSana could face repercussions for comments he made about Thompson and her children on a Zoom call with the Monroe County Republican Party.
"It's not news to anybody that these two, you know, they haven't always gotten along, and you know that's a tension we've managed through the caucus the whole time they've been here," said Hall.
Hall says a lawmaker threatening not to come to work isn't new.
"This isn't the first time that a member has said something like that, so we'll work through it as a team, and I'm confident we'll get her back soon. She's (Thompson) a very valuable member of our team," Hall said.
Across the aisle, Democratic Rep. Alabas Farhat says he feels that Republican leadership should step up.
"I think it's important that when someone comes forward with deep concerns, and there's extreme fighting between colleagues, you know it's important that there's leadership that steps in, fills that void, mediates and brings down the temperature and responds appropriately. There should be consequences for some of the remarks I've heard come forward," Farhat said.
Farhat says political infighting within the same party, no less, shouldn't be lawmakers' focus this close to the budget deadline.
"The budget is due July 1. We gotta give our local districts certainty so they can hire teachers, invest in their classrooms, make sure these kids are prepared for when they come back in the fall," he said. "They shouldn't have to be worrying about inner caucus politics."
