DETROIT – Flashpoint began with a roundtable discussion Sunday, as Devin Scillian was joined by Randy Richardville, Stephen Henderson, Jill Alper and Sandy Baruah to talk about religious freedom acts and whether one might be coming to Michigan.
Richardville, a former Michigan Senate majority leader, said that he doesn't think that Indiana's situation will have a major effect on the state of Michigan. Alper, a political strategist, talked about the governor's reaction to the increasing talks about religious freedom acts and what it means moving forward.
Baruah, the President and CEO of Detroit Regional Chamber, says that this issue is very bad for business. He said having laws like this in place prevents the best workers from coming into the state.
Henderson, of the Detroit Free Press, said that the issue has become more aggressive and assertive and talked about what could happen to settle the case.
The conversation continued as the panelists debated how the religious freedom acts could affect Michigan and Detroit. You can watch the whole conversation in the video posted above.
In the second segment, the panel moved the discussion to Proposal 1 and the upcoming vote to fix the Michigan roads. Richardson talked about where your money goes when you pay for gas and how this new proposal tries to fix that.
He said the government was very bold in putting the decision on the voters instead of just taking action.
Alper said the proposal is going to be a tough sell because the people who go to the polls are anti-taxes. She wishes the government would have made the decision without sending it to the polls.
There is no plan B if the proposal isn't passed, Richardson said.
"I'm hoping it passes, but I'm not optimistic," Henderson said. He thinks the proposal would be a step toward fixing the roads, but doesn't think the support is strong.
Baruah said that the plan isn't perfect, but thinks it's a solid plan and would make strides in fixing the roads. He said the awful roads are not only bad for business in Michigan, but also a real safety concern.
The panel also talked about Rand Paul and how he affects the U.S. Presidential Race. Henderson thinks Paul will take a few weeks at the top and then fade away for the Republican Party.
You can watch the whole second segment in the video posted below.
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Finally, Devin met with Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press to talk about Art X Detroit, which through the next two weeks.
"It's trying to shine a spotlight on the role that arts and cultures have in revitalizing the city and the role that arts and cultures played in what's best about living in Detroit for many, many years," Stryker said.
He said the Art X Detroit is more than an art fair, it's very prestigious to win.
Stryker talked about a 96-year-old photographer and some of the major highlights of Art X Detroit from his point of view.
You can watch the conversation on Art X Detroit by clicking on the video below.
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