Alrigh we're back now with the incoming speaker of the Michigan House.

And let's pick u with the question that we left at the end of the show, please.

Yes.

I can see the clock this time.

So, you know, there's a lot of been talk.

There's a lot been a lot of talk about what's happened at the federal level.

Obviously, you said that that plays a lot into what you're dealing with here at the state level.

All dealing with here at the state level.

Is it going to be Democrats that are going to have to convince the the Michiganders out there, sorry Chad, that that that these federal pressures are really weighing on it?

Or can Democrats have actionable change within the two year time span that you have?

The, again, I think it's a little bit of both.

I am also a team Michigander.

For what it's worth, sorry Chad, the, I think the people of Michigan have made it clear that they understand that is, the dynamic that that pla and they've called on Michigan Democrat to, to help solve this crisis.

And so I'd be naive to think that we can fix all of it at the state level.

But I think the excitement that we have, the hope and the opportunity that Michigan Democrats have right now is we were, gifted a trifecta by the people of Michigan to actually deliver results.

And so it's not like trus in institute public institutions as an all time high, by by the people around the state.

But, I think with the people of Michigan want our results.

And so, the, the interesting dynamic about this trifecta compared to last is all three of us are walking into these roles at the same time.

I just think that it provides a forum for us to, to think bigger, to not be limited by split government, and the limitations that the political reality that those caused, but allows us to to think about transformational ideas which are actually going to chart our state on a different course and hopefully improve the lives of Michiganders.

As you know so well, this game is all about relationships.

How would you describe your relationship with the incoming minority leader, Mr.

Kunse, who's been picked by that caucus to b do you guys have a relationship?

Yeah, yeah, we have a good rapport.

Have you had dinner together?

Not yet.

But, you know.

Have you had lunch together?

Well, it's been just a week or two, so, you know, but, I look forward to, to developing an even better relationship with the minority leader.

Well, what is the do you like?

What do you like about him?

You know, I think he's someone that's that's not shy.

They'll kind of tell you how it is, and, that I think it helps us just be better at governing partners is just understanding where each one of us are to hopefully, again, craft a better dynamic that exists right now.

So I think he's someon that is going to be able to be someone that I can work with, and that is going to be helping me drive this charge of leading our institution back to normalcy.

His opening line was Democrats are not the enemy.

When you heard that, you thought.

That was commendable.

On January 1st, if the price of gas is the same price, now it's over $4.50 a gallon.

Yeah.

Would you hold a vote to suspend the gas tax?

I wouldn't do that on January 1st.

No.

I think there's a couple of things.

This, I think falls into that same umbrella category of why is gas $4.50?

It is because we are in an unpopular war, in which the price of oil no has skyrocketed unnecessarily.

I'm hoping that these newfound majorities in Congress can help alleviate some of that burden, and help drive down the cost of oil.

That would probably be the best way to do it.

I think we all know here that the big decision we would have to make, is that someone has to pay for this bill and, a any sort of gas tax relief or relief at the pump is going to come, on the backs of the money spent to fix our roads.

And so that'll be the trade off that we need to deliberate.

If it was just up to you, would you leave status quo and not mess around with that?

With the gas tax?

Again, I mean, obviously my opinions outsized here and I don't think I think we would have to have a solid plan to how we pay for the roads, because the money that we were hoping that was going to come in for, that doesn't seem to be, falling in the way that we wanted.

And so that would take serious deliberation.

So I kno you don't want to start the year by saying the first thing the governor wants, you don't want.

But let me see if I can get you to say that.

Because it seems to me you have reservations about addressing reducing the gas tax.

I wouldn't say that I'm read to comment on any single policy right now.

Well.

It's not new policy, Mr.

Speaker.

Yes, but I have.

But, I have 26 new members, that are coming in.

That's nearly 40 41% of my caucus is new members.

And so a charge that I've made to this, this new class that's coming in is that they are going to have an equal say in crafting the agenda for the 104th legislature.

And so we have not all been in a room together yet, but over the course of the nex few weeks and couple of months, that is going to be what I spearhead, is us putting together a robust agenda, to, to meet this moment.

So if a majority of your caucus said, let's leave the gas tax alone, that's what would be your policy.

If a majority of my caucus said, let's leave this gas tax alone, then we probably wouldn't have the votes to do it.

And so, yeah, yeah, I mean, again, these are conversations that I look forward to having with our caucus.

There's not been a lo of deliberation with the 104th Michigan House Democrats on on what to do about this particular policy.

The governor would call you and say, whip that caucus and get me the vote.

And the fun begins, right?

Yeah, exactly.

Yes.

But, there's no shortag of things that we need to solve.

And so, you know, Rome wasn't built in a day.

There's no reason to have an anxiety or anything right now.

We have, a little over two months to to kind of build this out.

And that's going to happen in concert with these newfound, wit newfound majority in the House, but with our governing partners and, governor elect Benson and her new administratio and with the Senate Democrats.

And so that'll be with the next couple of months before.

You found out.

You've mentioned to the Trump administration a lot in this conversation.

And I'm curious, especially because, you know, not just Michigan.

Other states, also increased their Democratic majorities or found majorities in state legislatures.

And I'm curious, as a body, as a national group of, Democratic led states do you do you anticipate states having some additional leverage in this conversation here?

I know so much o so much of tariffs, gas prices.

A lot of these things are federally driven.

But, you know, where where do you see, state power in this dynamic?

Well, you know, I think at the at the base of it, there is a dynamic exists with the relationships that we have with our congressional delegation.

And I think that we are going to be very loud in saying that the people of Michigan sent a very clear mandate that that approach isn't working.

I'm would be fairly certain that they already understand that.

And there are, at least the Democratic members of our congressional delegation are ready to be, very loud and bang the table for the people of Michigan.

And yes, obviously when you have newfound trifecta and seats that you flipped around the country that no one thought were on the on the map, that should send, the alarm bells ringing in D.C.

about, hey, maybe this approach isn't working.

I guess to follow up, is there much more that states can do than bang the table?

Well, there's, you know, some interesting approaches.

I think it maybe depends on the issue.

You are, seeing a, conversation around natural national popular vote, which allows for a state by state compact, that could essentially, find an alternative, a circumvent kind of federal policy, to, to have that work in a different way.

And so I think, you know, there's and I think there's compacts of all persuasions out there.

And so there's I think we are going to kind of continue to learn and build this together with with these newfound majorities.

But I think at the crux of it the states have a crucial role of being able to be a blue wall of defense between policies that aren't working.

And maybe we can affect polic nationally at the state level, but we can certainly help thwart the effects at our state level, which is the primary objective of state legislatures.

Representative.

What will be your policy and, approac to earmarks in the state budget?

I think we should, continue to find ways, for, all of this to be very transparent, and making sure that, any state moneys that are being, invested are, that there's some ROI and accountability attached to those dollars.

But I think we also need to be self-aware of the fiscal situation that we find ourselves.

And, you know, I think I'm already starting mentally to prepare for, us being in the red by a pretty significant number.

And so, if that's the case, then, you know, I don't know what type of money is going to be, available for, for earmarks or LDSIs.

And so, you know, I certainly think whatever we can do to open up transparency, to root out corruption is a good thing, broadly speaking.

So the reforms that the Republicans put in place are good ones.

With regard to your put your name on the bill and you say, who's getting the money, blah, blah, blah.

45 days advance notice.

Some of that, some of that.

I think some of that wa unnecessary bureaucracy that led to, to set people up for things to be called out.

I think there's a little bit it was a little arbitrary in terms of what what met the mark and what did it.

And so I would like for us to continue to do some of these reforms.

But I would like it to be streamlined, where everyone understands what exactly is necessitated for to, to meet, all the criteria.

Because I think there was a lot of confusion and panic, around town, around the state, about if they submitted all the right paperwork or, or checked all the gazillion boxes that were required.

And so I think there's probably a way to streamline that and remove some red tape, but to also maintain integrity and transparency.

Are you going to hold a vote to extend the Freedom of Information Act to the legislature and the governor's office?

I want to continue again to move the institution in a way to be more transparent.

An open records request is a piece of that.

The the reality, though, is implementing this 110, member office wide, is complex and takes nuance.

But there is this there' a good number of my colleagues in my caucus that, are very passionate about this.

And so there's going to be, I think, quite a bit of debate of how we implement this, how we pay for this, and just making sure that we're not doing i in a way that just checks a box, but we're implementing in a way that actually meets the needs of of what people want.

And quickly.

Do you have any future mayors in your caucus and do they have adequate head boarding?

Yeah, we need researching.

We need to start researching.

Luckily, we got a couple of seats this time.

So I don't think I have 7 or 8 mayors in my caucus.

The intent of that question is you're going to you're not going to lose bodies right off the bat.

Right?

I don't think so.

That's it' a good point.

It's a good flag.

We'll start researching.

But I think we're good.

Head boarding is probably one you want to check on.

Thank you for being on the program.

I appreciate the opportunity.

Well be watching your new efforts in the new year.

I look forward to it.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.