Transportation Budget

Out of all the contacts I received this legislative session on the 2021-23 state budget, the need to fix our roads was by far one of the more popular topics.

I am proud to say that the transportation portion of our biennial spending plan invests more and borrows less than what the governor had proposed.

One of the things I like most about the budget is that it enacts a long-term revenue increase for transportation. It accomplishes that by providing a one-time 1 percent general fund transfer in the first year and then a .5 percent transfer in the following years. 

Because of those transferred dollars, we were able to remove nearly $300 million in borrowing from the governor's proposed budget.

We also achieved our goal of getting local communities more money for road projects by putting $100 million into the Local Roads Improvement Program. The governor was looking to add $75 million – or $25 million less – in his proposal.

Please know that we listened to your concerns regarding transportation infrastructure in our state and this budget is a reflection of that. People need reliable and safe roads to go about their daily lives and I believe our biennial spending plan will help us make great progress in that respect.

Environment Committee

Earlier this week, the Assembly Environment Committee that I chair held a public hearing on legislation that relates to the removal of sediment from the Great Lakes.

AB 99 makes changes to the requirements and exemptions for the disposal of materials dredged by a municipality or its contractors from Lake Michigan or Lake Superior. The legislative proposal also includes the two lakes' bays and harbors.

Many local governments in our region are pushing for this bill because they would like to see a more streamlined process for dredging sand from the Great Lakes and reusing it on their beaches.

The legislation would exempt larger dredged material sites from licensing and operating plan review requirements if the disposal does not cause environmental pollution. Essentially, this would ensure that sand and sediment that test clean are not considered to be in the same class as refuse or sludge from wastewater treatment plants.

  With our ever-changing shorelines, I believe this bill will help us meet the needs of our local communities while also protecting our natural resources.

In other action, committee members heard testimony from the Department of Natural Resources on a clearinghouse rule that deals with implementing reasonably available control technology for volatile organic compound emissions from miscellaneous metal and plastic parts coatings and industrial adhesives.

To learn more about the clearinghouse rule, please click here.

Assembly Citations

I recently had the pleasure of presenting an Assembly citation to Andrew Konop, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1022 who has advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout.

For his service project, Andrew built benches and picnic tables for Haines Park in Southern Door County.

Following a tumultuous 17 months of trying to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, I am happy to see kids being kids again and doing selfless things for the communities they love. Andrew and others like him should be commended for their efforts.

If you know of anyone who goes above and beyond and is deserving of an Assembly citation, please contact my office and we will take your request under consideration.