While protestors were heated outside, Governor Rick Snyder apologized inside the State Capitol, laying out his plan to regain trust and fix Flint's water problems. " I am sorry and I will fix it. No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe."
A catastrophe the Governor admits will take years to overcome and millions to fix. He blamed leader in the state's Department of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services for failing to recognize the scope of the contamination, and failing to let him know about it .
"For those whose mistakes contributed to this disaster, we are fully cooperating with investigations and will hold those individuals accountable. And let me be perfectly clear, to all of state government, in situations like this, they must come to my desk immediately, no delays, no excuses, period."
Governor Snyder promised to commit the rest of his term to help the people of Flint. He unveiled a series of steps he'll take to help children with medical treatment and prevent another disaster. He says he will also release his emails from 2014 and 2015 regarding the crisis.
"You deserve to know the truth and I have a responsibility to tell the truth. The truth about what we've done and what we'll do to overcome this challenge."
To overcome the challenge, the Governor has asked the legislature for an additional $28 million in funding, and asked Michiganders to keep the people of Flint in their prayers.
"It is truly a humbling experience to see the people you work for and care for, harmed by the people that work for you. But Michiganders don't quit. We don't give up."
