The green ooze pollution crisis in Oakland County wasn’t the only slimy situation Michiganders were hit with last week.

As details of the situation emerged, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer decided to blame the Republican-led Legislature. Without evidence, she claims no monitoring was done because the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy wasn’t given the proper funding.

Considering public health and safety have always been and continue to be top priorities of mine and this Legislature, her statement was a complete shock to read.

As chair of House Appropriates Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, I can guarantee that had I been notified there was a need for funding, this entire crisis could have been avoided. Any time a similar request has been made in the past funds have been provided.

For instance, when funds were needed for environmental clean-up efforts in December 2017, the Republican led Legislature provided the necessary resources. And when the governor’s budget shorted EGLE on the number of staff necessary to address PFAS contamination, it was the Republican led Legislature who ensured sufficient staff was provided.

Gov. Whitmer’s response to the green slime situation points fingers at the Republicans, even though it was Whitmer who slashed $500,000 from the Renewing Michigan Environment fund and $15 million in funds set aside to continue the clean-up of PFAS contaminated areas using her now infamous veto-pen.

In her toxic partisan statement last week Whitmer writes, “It’s time for Republicans in the legislature to ensure EGLE has the technology and resources it needs to keep the public safe.”

To this I say, no, governor. It’s time for you to stop placing blame where it’s not due, take accountability, and communicate with the Legislature.

I’ve been an excellent partner to the departments when it comes to contaminants that threaten our natural resources and environment. I’ve even been called an environmental hero by Clean Water Action, praised by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters for the recent appropriations bill that left my committee, and just this week was thanked by the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club for being an environmental champion.

I am a proud advocate in the battle against water contamination.

Despite all this, the governor has the audacity to claim we failed to ensure the department was properly funded to address this concern.

Well, governor, I challenge you to provide evidence that you requested funding or that I was notified of this problem.

As I await the governor’s budget presentation, I look forward to hearing her plans to provide funding to address these types of issues – preferably without playing partisan political games.