We're back now with the representative Farhad from Dearborn on the Off the Record overtime.

At your suggestion.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, I see all you know, you guys have more fun on overtime I feel like then on the regular show.

Alright well let's start out the fun with this.

Are you going to finish the budget before July 1st?

I mean, if it's up to us, we get it done, way before July 1st, I think.

Would you talk to these guys?

Yeah, Were Craig and I wrong?

Yeah, I think we got done before July 1st.

Do you really?

I think if I did that, yeah, if I had to bet well get it done before July 1.

So why is there then this hesitancy, do you think on Matt Hall's part to say it'll be done?

I think I've heard him say he wants to get it done early.

They put out targets.

I've heard from Chair Bolin.

They want to get done early.

I very much am somebody who, you know, a guy who you trust but verify, right?

You keep working through the process, and you make sure that if they're going to get it done, House Democrats are going to be ready to move on that budget when it moves.

What should House Democrats, let's say the budget, you know, whether it's done or not, you go through the summer, you campaign, what should House Democrats campaign on to win back the House?

I think look, I think right now people want to return to functional government.

I think that's a big piece of it.

I think a big piece of it's affordability.

And that will be ones that fight very hard to bring down your costs.

So we mentioned prescription drug costs earlier.

that's a big piece of it, right.

Making sure that, it's affordable to continue living in our state.

You can thrive in our state, that we can attract high paying jobs to our state.

And making sure that Michigan continues to be a place where democracy is defended, where people can can start a business and grow here.

And that we're taking it seriously.

You know, we're seeing these investments in literacy, that people are all championing now, but we forget they all started under the trifecta.

Right?

Chair Regina Weiss at the time senator Camilleri, they worked together to get a lot of these signs of readings.

Matt Kolesar to get these done.

and so I'm glad to see that they're doubling down on the investments made during the trifecta.

Is this going to be a traditional budget process where the House passes their plan, the Senate passes their plan, and then we talk about it, or are they talking about it behind closed doors and just going to come out with the consensus?

you know, I think, to credit the speaker on the heat package, you know, we can see the earmarks now are going through a more traditional, more transparent process.

You see the committee, Jenkins Arnold started doing some of the hearings on her earmarks.

I would like it if it is a traditional process where the media and the public have more time to review these documents, the lawmakers themselves, especially to see these documents.

Right.

and actually review them.

I think there's been a lot of discharges before last year, we saw them discharge their entire budget, basically to the floor outside of the higher ed and K through 12 budget.

and that's unacceptable to me.

I think that's, that's, you know, we don't need to do that.

So you say the budget's going to get done by July 1st.

You don't you sit here today and you don't even know what the process is going to be?

I think the that's the minority, right?

It's the perks the minority.

But youre a key person in this they're going to need votes from your caucus to do this.

And I think when that time comes, you know, I've we've seen a remarkable ability from Governor Gretchen Whitmer to bring Speaker Hall to the table alongside when he brings and and get him to a fair deal like they did last year, where we able to protect Medicaid, continued invest in our education programs that we started under the Democratic trifecta.

And so I'm confident that Governor Whitmer is going to bring Speaker Hall to the table and that the institution will course correct itself like it always does.

One more question on this.

You made how much money from the rainy day fund do you support taking out rate?

If we choose instead to ask the wealthiest Michiganders, the richest Michiganders to pay their fair share We won't have such a dollar of that rainy day fund.

Really?

But that's going to replace the property tax money.

Well, I think we can do more.

There's a lot I've had a lot of bills on this issue.

If you look at it, we can do digital advertising.

We do it.

We can do a luxury sales tax.

There is no shortage of good ideas when it comes to, you know, making sure we have an equitable tax system.

So you're saying here, let's generate enough new revenue.

Where we don't have to touch the rainy day fund?

We can do some modest cuts.

And but I think revenue is the sustainable way to go.

I mean, using the rainy day fund, just the it's a short term fix on this problem.

And if we're really going to try and make sure we have a structurally sound budget for years to come, we're going to have to look at revenue.

It's going to go 1 or 2 ways that we find the revenue to sustain services that people in Michigan rely on, which I favor.

I don't want to see people lose their health care coverage.

I don't want to see seniors lose their in-home care.

I don't want to see schools have to lay off teachers.

If that's what we want to do, then we'd find a revenue to sustain those investments, and we can make some modest cuts and some modest belt tightening.

But we really ought to be looking at how do we build a more robust budget that's durable and that's going to be able to sustain these investments people have come to rely on.

Representative, you started this term as the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee for Democrats.

You got into a disagreement with the speaker.

He took you off that position and then never replaced do with anybody.

Well, how would you describe your relationship with him now?

I mean, it's functional, right?

I was elected to do a job, that the people in Dearborn, in Detroit send me up here to do, and that's to represent them and to be their voice.

And, in the minority, these titles are kind of, they're nice to have on a business card.

Right.

But for me, the real work gets done by the effort we put in, and I, we spend long hours in the capital, we make sure we work these relationships and we get to know the budget.

And my caucus put their trust in me when I had that title to be an expert on that budget, to be able to deliver for them, and to be able to stand up for the values that they believe in, that I believe in.

And, I think we've done then we'll continue to do that regardless of the title.

But how would you describe the speaker to your people back home?

I mean, your constituents ask you about the speaker.

How do you describe him to them?

You know, I really don't talk much about other elected officials to my.

But he's the leader.

He's the leader of this chamber.

Yeah.

I think I talk a lot about the work Governor Whitmer has done.

As the leader of our state.

And Dearborn especially, she's done a great job.

You know, including the Arab American community, the Muslim community, and there's fighting for Michiganders across the board on affordability.

You know, she's somebody who I partnered very closely with on economic development.

But you know, the speaker I mean, he's fine.

I appreciate he's come to Southeast Michigan a lot is the office of Southeast Michigan now where he does these things.

but really, you know, my area, they've been focused on these long standing relationships with Governor Whitmer and others who have really continued to invest in Southeast Michigan in a really robust way.

Let's see some issues.

Con con.

How are you going to vote?

I know I saw labor put out some stuff on it.

No, I mean, I think it'd be a great idea, but I probably will go against that.

I guess.

Really?

You know, con con if we do it right.

Look, what is wrong with getting people more involved with the process, right?

Getting people more involved.

So in other words you're not afraid of the far right, which is which the Ds are saying are going to come in and rewrite the Constitution.

You won't recognize it?

I mean, I think here's the allegation, here's what I'll say.

I think there's a fair argument to be made that con con can result in a radical rewriting of our constitution that overrides the votes that people had, and a lot of proposals.

Representative though, if you're saying that you think Lansing is dysfunctional right now, do you really think that a con con would be functional?

I think a con con could be an interesting idea to consider.

Definitely in theory.

In theory, I mean, look, I think we should be able to.

Wait a minute she didn't ask you if it was going to be interesting.

It would be interesting.

But I think right now.

What was your question?

What was your question?

It would be dysfunctional?

My question was one of the things that you said earlier is that Lansing right now is dysfunctional.

And the idea that, trying to just manage a budget right is leading to dysfunction.

This would open up the entire state constitution.

Everything would be up for rewriting.

So I'm just saying, if we can't even get a budget done on time, how could we actually consider that we would be able to rewrite the entire state constitution?

Well, you know, there's a lot of checks and balances to con con, right?

As we know, you got to get a vote done.

Then you got 148 people elected, and then whatever their work project is, they got to get voted on by the people in Michigan.

So there's a lot of checks and balances there along the way.

A little bit different than the state budget, right.

I think and I mean, practice in a real and in theory, it'd be great to have 140 experts to get in there and modernize our state constitution.

I personally have issues with the way our tax policy is.

I would like us to be able to do a greater income tax.

Our Constitution prohibits that explicitly.

Right.

I think it prevents a localized sales tax in a lot of ways.

I would like to see us allow that to happen, like states like Ohio and Texas can do.

But I think the idea of con con is messy.

I think there's a lot of question marks there and maybe more than it's worth.

And so, I mean, labor and these groups are coming out saying against that, I for one, again, I only campaign for myself.

I am not planning on running a yes campaign on it.

Speaking of other, elections when we, before we went to overtime, Tim asked you about your candidate for governor, and you hesitated.

You're not endorsing yet.

Why not?

Look, I want to.

Look, governor Whitmer is our great job as a Democratic nominee and as a governor that including voices across the state.

I'm still waiting for folks to come out to Southeast Michigan, come to Dearborn, talk to my community, and make my community, I mean the city, not just Arab-Americans, by the way, the working class of that city, and in Detroit and win over their support.

I think I follow the will of my district very closely.

I care deeply about my residents.

And, I'll never try and dictate to them who we should be supporting.

I want to listen to them and see.

What about the former mayor of Detroit?

You know, he's been very well received in my district.

I won't lie to you folks.

He's been very well received.

He's been somebody who's, you know, been a very popular mayor in southeast Michigan.

He's built really strong relationships in the air business community and in the Dearborn city of Dearborn.

You know, under his leadership, they started a block party together where they actually bring Detroit neighborhoods into Dearborn neighborhoods together.

People forget you're one was a sundown town for a long time.

And he's broken that image and shattered it.

So there's a lot to be said about the time and investment he's put into those relationships and a Democratic nominee.

And I'm saying, where's the camera of that camera?

The Democratic nominee.

Wait a minute thats my camera.

Is that yours?

Thats my camera.

Well, the Democratic nominee needs to make sure if they want to win this district and they want to win voters that are susceptible to a Duggan nomination, or Duggan candidacy, to come and do the work.

Now.

And don't wait too soon to November and get those relationships off the ground.

Otherwise, you're going to be scrambling to find people that are going to be, you know, you're just coming for my votes here.

I've worked with this guy for 12 years.

You are talking about a vague Democratic nominee.

If it's Benson or Swanson.

Do you think Swanson has a chance to win the primary as we sit here?

I mean, if you look, if he's in the race, you know, if he's in the race, he clearly thinks he has a shot.

Now, I'm asking you, do you think you have a shot?

Yeah, I think I do.

I think anything's possible.

Do you think he has a shot to win?

So I think if Chris Swanson is able to hit lightning and have a moment where he's able to electrify the base.

Sure.

I think I also won't discount the polling shows Benson it at one right now.

And she very clearly could be the nominee.

But I and I and I would extend the olive branch to any of them, by the way, come to Dearborn.

Come walk these neighborhoods with me.

None of them have been there yet?

You know, not in a way where I think they've sat down and been willing to have scrutiny.

Right.

I mean, this is a community feels very strongly again.

Whitmer Governor Whitmer has set the bar so high in my community.

She's done a great job, including people.

She's done a great job with appointees, a great job with investments, a great job of ensuring that if there's an issue, you can pick up and call the governor's office, right?

These people are auditioning now to be in that same seat.

some of them.

There's a sheriff in Genesee County.

Is secretary of state.

Great.

how are you gonna continue that tradition?

What guarantees do we have, as a southeast Michigan, as a minority community?

U.S.

Senate, U.S.

Senate.

Who's your candidate?

Abdul El-Sayed.

Why?

Abdul.

Abdul.

I've known him for a while, working for the county.

I think he's very principled.

He's a very straight shooter.

he's somebody I think that can really connect with the base.

and somebody who I think is, you know, just an all around good person.

I think, you know, Senator McMorrow, I've worked with her in Lansing.

She's a great person too and Congressman Stevens.

But Abdul is somebody who I think is going to get my vote in this election.

There's a lot of voters sitting out there, you know, looking at these issues.

Tim's asking you about issues.

It's sunshine week.

Yeah.

The last day of sunshine week.

Weekday.

... If House Dems win a majority back, will you all actually hold a vote on...?

I mean, I think you've seen, the speaker do some stuff on transparency and you guys gave him an award, so that's great.

but I think ... reform is important.

I think transparency is important.

I think for me, I've always been a long supporter of ... reform, and, I can't speak for my entire caucus, Im not able to do that but I think it'll be a great idea.

Representative, what are you going to be when you grow up?

What?

I want I still figuring that out every day.

Give me a guess.

you know, I don't know, I don't know.

I think I want to continue doing good for the state of Michigan.

That's what I want to do.

You want to be governor?

No.

That's overrated, all right?

That's.

You want to?

Never mind.

Thanks for doing over time.

Thanks to our great panel.

And see you all next week for more off the record.