Speaker Hall: 'We're Getting Closer But Not There Yet'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/09/2025) For the first time in what seems like a long time, there's something that looks like positive news on avoiding a government shutdown, and it's coming from House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township).

"We're getting closer, but we're not there, yet . . . There are enough positive conversations that we can get it done by Sept 30th, on time," he told MIRS.

When he said “we”, he is including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.  He reported the two of them had a long conversation on the budget/road fix challenge when she was in Japan last week.

"Her and I are working forward and trying to solve this problem, but we are not quite there yet on a solution. I wouldn't say we have a deal. We are having a lot of really positive conversations and working toward a deal, but if we had a deal we'd announce it."

He revealed that part of what he is doing at the moment is "educating" the governor and her staff on how to fix the roads by reducing government waste and not raising taxes. He reflected, "Once the governor sees all this and understands it, I feel confident that she'll come around to our way quite a bit, but we're working on it."  Asked if they were closer to an agreement than they were three weeks ago, he answers in the affirmative. "Yes."

The Speaker also reported that he is sensitive to some of the things the Governor wants in any deal adding, "We're also trying to reach a middle position with the Democrats," where a lot of the Governor's priorities are also "considered and handled."

Hall is talking to a handful of Democrats about the alleged waste, fraud and abuse the GOP claims to have found in the budget, knowing that the Governor will need Democrats to vote for any deal they reach. He thinks this could come down as it did with the vote over the minimum wage/tip issue. The R's produced the majority of yes votes with some help from Democrats.

As he has said before, he wants the Democrats to "empower" the Governor to make a deal with the Speaker. If that happens, he indicated the two of them could get it done "very quickly" . . . in less than two weeks.

Staying on this positive note, Hall goes on, "we are doing everything in good faith" to get a deal and "I'm encouraged by the conversations."