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Podcast 83 Legislative Update April 22, 2025
In this week’s episode of Podcast 83, Executive Director Stephan Currie and Director of Governmental Affairs Deena Bosworth have a one-on-one chat about a busy number of days in Lansing last week on:
Public Safety Trust Fund legislation: House Bills 4260-61 in their current form have commendable points, said Bosworth, including $28 million aimed specifically at county sheriff departments.
Road funding hearing: “There was great testimony and good questions by the Senate Appropriations Committee members,” said Bosworth. “In addition to the House Republican testimony on their road plan, we also heard from the Citizens Research Council on a new policy paper that they issued where they said they don't know if we necessarily need any more money. We just need to reallocate the funds and spend them better.”
“So why would the Senate take testimony on a House Republican plan when the Democrats control the Senate,” Currie asked.
“I think they wanted to poke holes in it,” Bosworth replied. “Frankly, I really do. I think that they're focused on getting together their own plan with the Governor's Office and how they want to tackle the road issue.”
Renewable energy siting legislation: “House Bills 4027-28 are up for hearing this week in the House Energy Committee, and they amend that clean and renewable energy and energy reduction act that went through (in 2023),” Bosworth said. “MAC remained opposed to that as it was going through the process, because it really stripped local units of government, of local control, of the siting of these large-scale wind and solar facilities.
“So, these bills (would repeal) the majority of that statute: all that Michigan Public Service Commission authority to site these large-scale wind and solar facilities; the standards that have to be written … it really gets rid of all of that. …
“That would be great if we went back to more local control, so the locals had more of a say in what was going into their own communities,” Bosworth continued. “But I highly doubt this is going to go anywhere in the Senate. It might. It may end up opening up the act for some of the fixes that are needed, but I don't think it's going to be really high up on their priority list.”
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By DerekIn this week’s episode of Podcast 83, Executive Director Stephan Currie and Director of Governmental Affairs Deena Bosworth have a one-on-one chat about a busy number of days in Lansing last week on:
Public Safety Trust Fund legislation: House Bills 4260-61 in their current form have commendable points, said Bosworth, including $28 million aimed specifically at county sheriff departments.
Road funding hearing: “There was great testimony and good questions by the Senate Appropriations Committee members,” said Bosworth. “In addition to the House Republican testimony on their road plan, we also heard from the Citizens Research Council on a new policy paper that they issued where they said they don't know if we necessarily need any more money. We just need to reallocate the funds and spend them better.”
“So why would the Senate take testimony on a House Republican plan when the Democrats control the Senate,” Currie asked.
“I think they wanted to poke holes in it,” Bosworth replied. “Frankly, I really do. I think that they're focused on getting together their own plan with the Governor's Office and how they want to tackle the road issue.”
Renewable energy siting legislation: “House Bills 4027-28 are up for hearing this week in the House Energy Committee, and they amend that clean and renewable energy and energy reduction act that went through (in 2023),” Bosworth said. “MAC remained opposed to that as it was going through the process, because it really stripped local units of government, of local control, of the siting of these large-scale wind and solar facilities.
“So, these bills (would repeal) the majority of that statute: all that Michigan Public Service Commission authority to site these large-scale wind and solar facilities; the standards that have to be written … it really gets rid of all of that. …
“That would be great if we went back to more local control, so the locals had more of a say in what was going into their own communities,” Bosworth continued. “But I highly doubt this is going to go anywhere in the Senate. It might. It may end up opening up the act for some of the fixes that are needed, but I don't think it's going to be really high up on their priority list.”