Michigan Matters: Regional transit and auto insurance reform

As voters head to the polls Aug. 4, a regional transit measure in Wayne County will ask folks there to end opt-out communities, which Assad Turfe, Deputy Wayne County Executive, and Tiffany Gunter, GM at SMART, discuss on this Sunday's Michigan Matters.

There are 17 communities in the county that are not currently part of regional transit and 43 that are.

Gunter discussed the importance of regional transit to the county and Southeast Michigan.

Turfe discussed the measure and how it would improve the system. He also answered questions raised by critics of the measure who say it would only raise taxes.

Then the conversation turns to rising auto insurance rates across Michigan and new legislative bills in Lansing that would help stem the tide.

State Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy) and State Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) talk about bills each has recently introduced and how they would help.

They were joined by James Sullivan, Director of Operations at CURE Auto Insurance, to shed light on the pressing pocketbook issue for many drivers.

Michigan has among the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, and they talked about and the reasons why.

(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).