Michigan Governor Will Release Emails In Connection To Flint Water Crisis

Gov. Rick Snyder issued a sweeping apology on Tuesday to the residents of Flint for a contaminated water supply, pledged to promptly release his emails about the issue, and laid out more specifics than have previously been known about the state’s handling of the matter.

“I’m sorry most of all that I let you down”, he said.

Lawyers have now filed three suits on behalf of Flint residents, as they ask the “state of MI to step up” amidst Flint’s ongoing water crisis.

Earlier on Tuesday, Michigan budget officials recommended $28 million in supplemental funding to aid in Flint, sending the request to the House and Senate Appropriations committees.

Snyder also said he is working with Lt. Gov. Brian Calley to do a full review of transparency and accountability issues.

Only a year ago, Rick Snyder began his second term as MI governor promoting the same achievements that had propelled him to victory in 2014: The state was at last in the midst of an economic comeback, and Detroit had…

Snyder’s office released its official timeline of the crisis and, as Snyder outlined Monday night, it will make available to the public all of his emails regarding Flint from 2014 and 2015 on his website on Wednesday.

The US environmental agency said its oversight was hampered “by failures and resistance at the state and local levels to work with us in a forthright, transparent and proactive manner”.

In his speech Tuesday, Snyder said that he was asking the state for $28 million to pay for bottled water, filters, testing and the treatment of children with high lead levels.

Attorney Cary McGehee said lawyers have heard from more than 500 people reporting health problems and financial hardships.

State and federal disasters have been declared in Flint and the National Guard is distributing water.

Weaver said he will meet with Snyder while in the state to talk about the water crisis, saying Obama told her he wants Snyder held accountable to get Flint help.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, repeated his call for Snyder to resign because of how he had handled the situation.

Speaking Tuesday on a conference call organized by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Weaver said she came to Washington hoping to secure more federal support for her city.

On Friday, Berry and some friends will gather up all the water they collect, and drive it 600 miles to Flint, they say, in a truck donated by the Shoe City chain.

Financially strapped Flint was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager when it switched its source of tap water from Detroit’s system to the more corrosive water in the nearby Flint River in April 2014 to save money.

Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Potterville) says the Governor’s plan is what the state needs to focus on. They know you never would have done this to a wealthy white suburb. Flint residents – 57 percent of whom are African-American and 41 percent of whom have incomes below federal poverty guidelines – immediately complained about the color, smell and taste of the water.

“There will be unprecedented attention on Snyder’s State of the State speech”, writes Susan J. Demas, publisher-editor if the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter, in a MLive column.