Five Republicans voted alongside Democrats in the Michigan Senate on Tuesday to reinstate the money that House Republicans clawed back. Still, they say they're exploring all their options, including asking the attorney general to intervene. 

"This was the first time that the House, on their own, with no notice, cancelled more than 100 programs," said state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak. 

The clawback came as a surprise to some of the organizations last week, some of which hadn't even heard from the legislature that their funds had been cut. In the days since, Democratic lawmakers have decried the decision, and on Tuesday, the Senate began work to reinstate the money. 

"This was the state renegging on its own deals with communities that we felt it was important to reinstate," said McMorrow. 

Tuesday's vote would reinstate most of that funding, but not all. The reinstatement still needs approval from the House to take effect, which could be challenging because Speaker Matt Hall and other Republicans have repeatedly celebrated the cuts as weeding out waste, fraud and abuse. 

In a statement, state Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, said, "Some of these projects were a clear misuse of state resources. I'm glad the administrators of these wasteful programs were so inept that they failed to ever spend the dollars they were awarded. Their sheer incompetence should not be rewarded with continued funding." 

However, McMorrow said this vote isn't the only action the Senate is taking to try to reinstate the money. 

"We also reached out to the attorney general to ask for an official opinion to rule as to whether or not this provision in state law is unconstitutional, which would force a reinstatement of these funds," she said. 

CBS News Detroit reached out to multiple Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, but did not hear back.