Nothing new on the budget...

The Michigan state budget impasse continues, with nothing be done. What concerns me most, however, is the apparent straw-man position that the Republicans in the Senate have taken. Apparently, the Senate's plan to reduce the budget by $1.7 billion, using cuts in spending to enact the changes, was voted on in the House and failed 105-0. That's the story I'd like to hear about. Why is it tat the Republican budget-cut that they've been championing went down without a single vote in it's favor?

House session grinds along without progress
Detroit Free Press

LANSING -- A House deal on a balanced state budget slid further from reach Saturday as Democrats and Republicans continued bickering late into the evening over taxes and spending, and government moved another day closer to possibly shutting down.

A marathon session that began Friday morning slogged through a second day without passage of an income tax increase that majority Democrats proposed. Democrats held two votes on the measure, one late Saturday night. Both recorded virtually the same results: no Republicans in favor, and about a dozen Democrats withholding support.

A shutdown would stop virtually all state efforts including the state lottery and close Detroit's casinos because state gaming control officials wouldn't be on duty to monitor them.

The Democrat plan would raise the income tax rate from 3.9% to 4.6%. No Republicans supported the hike, while 14 Democrats did not vote either way, many of them vulnerable for re-election next year and fearful of threatened recall campaigns if they voted for a tax increase.