UPDATE: Michigan Senate approves road bonding reforms

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Senate approved a resolution calling for "fiscal responsibility in the state budget regarding transportation bonding and the amount of debt passed down to future generations," according to a statement sent to FOX 47 News.

Senators also passed a bill that would require the State Transportation Commission to notify the legislature before voting on road bonds, giving them enough time to reject it.

“The Michigan Constitution clearly intends for the Legislature, the voice of the people, to be involved in transportation bonding decisions,” said Senator Jim Stamas, R-Midland.

“Michigan families need an affordable solution that fixes the roads and doesn’t saddle them with decades of debt. This resolution would clearly define the Legislature’s intent for road bonding and outline how much we’re willing to spend on debt payments,” he said.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 22, states "that the Legislature's intent is not to increase future debt service spending above the levels authorized in fiscal year 2020 and not to authorize spending for debt service on bonds longer than 10 years."

This comes after Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked the State Transportation Commission to authorize the sale of $3.5 billion in bonds to pay for roads and bridges.

Governor Whitmer told reporters Wednesday, "The legislature is just figuring out the scope of executive authority, and no surprise, they're trying to take it away, but that's not going to happen. We're going to move forward. We're going to move some dirt this year."

You can view Senate Concurrent Resolution 22 here and bill 716 here.

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