DETROIT – A group of Lansing lawmakers joined Guy Gordon on Flashpoint Sunday to talk about what's going on in the State Capital. The lawmakers touched on the roads deal discussions and the scandal involving Reps. Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat.
State Rep. Kurt Heise said about 20 Republican members in the house are adamantly opposed to imposing any new taxes to fix the roads. He said he could live with a tax increase in the plan, but his colleagues want to see a change in the general budget.
State Sen. Marty Knollenberg was asked if a road deal could be completed without raising taxes.
"I don't believe we can," Knollenberg said. "When you look at the general fund, it's not gone up in about seven or eight years. So it's not going to come from the general fund, if you factor inflation, the general fund's not gone up since 2001. And frankly, we call it a tax increase, but it's not. It's a user fee."
State Rep. Brian Banks said that getting the roads fixed is the top priority, but that it needs to be done responsibly. He said the Republicans came up with a plan to take $600 million from the general fund, but it wasn't clear where it would come from.
We've seen the state torn apart by bipartisan politics, according to State Sen. Bert Johnson. He talked about the divide in Lansing and how the votes fall for the potential roads plans.
You can see the full conversation about the roads plan in the video posted above.
In the second segment, the conversation turned to the scandal with Courser and Gamrat.
Heise said the committee will start looking into the heart of the matter and start making decisions on Tuesday. He said it's not an expulsion committee, but a group to determine the qualifications of the two members. He said it will likely take about a week to a week and a half.
Courser will have a chance to come forward with evidence and bring an attorney, but he might not be able to cross examine the aids who have made the more damaging testimonies. There is due process, but it's not a court case, so normal court rules don't apply.
Banks said that process is embarrassing the entire House because they're talking about Courser and Gamrat when they need to be focusing on important issues like getting the roads deal done.
The experts talked about medical benefits and whether or not people should have the option to take a less expensive, but less generous options.
You can watch the second segment in the video below.
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After the break, Guy brings you an exclusive interview with Ohio Gov. and presidential candidate John Kasich, who's poised to disrupt the conventional wisdom on the GOP side. He's just behind Donald Trump in New Hampshire and gaining elsewhere.
Kasich said the country has had terrible recovery since the recession because we're over regulated and the tax system doesn't encourage businesses to invest in plant and equipment.
He talked about companies that want to move off shore and how taxes and jobs are affected by that. He said he doesn't want companies moving out of the U.S. and then shipping their products back here, because it takes away jobs for Americans.
Guy also asked Kasich about ISIS and issues like Syria and the Iran deal that he could potentially inherit if he's elected. You can watch the full interview with Kasich in the video posted below.
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The four Lansing officials returned to the set for a web-only segment following the conversation with Kasich. The panel continued the debate about the roads plan and the handling of the Courser and Gamrat scandal.
The officials argued over the process of the roads deal and whether or not a deal just needs to be agreed upon and finalized sooner rather than later.
Click on the video below to watch the web-only segment.
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