The Legislature is on a three-week summer recess after finalizing budget bills and sending them to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
But this was just round one of state budget negotiations.
The budget bills were completed with several billion dollars still on the table. The focus of future bargaining will be helping consumers with rising fuel prices and inflation.
Senator Curtis Hertel is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He acknowledges how early in this process the Legislature is. "We still have work to do. We still have problems to solve," he says.
Republican Representative Thomas Albert chairs the House Appropriations Committee. "I think we can take our time and see how this kind of plays out, and I think we'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."
A key difference appears to be Republican interest in permanent tax rollbacks versus Democrats' concerns about actions that could be future budget-busters.
