FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 25, 2022
CONTACT: Sarah Tresedder, sarah.tresedder@sierraclub.org, 906-869-4167
Michigan’s Infrastructure Deal: A Big First Step to a Sustainable Funding Future
Lansing - On Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer was able to strike a deal with the Michigan legislature to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill totaling $4.7 billion to upgrade Michigan’s failing infrastructure. The deal includes $1.7 billion for drinking water and wastewater system improvements, $450 million for state and local parks, over $90 million for electric vehicles and public transit, and $50 million for energy efficiency and health improvements.
In Michigan’s most recent infrastructure report card by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE), the state received a D grade for drinking water infrastructure, a C- for public transportation, and a C- for energy infrastructure. Given the continuing environmental and public health disasters impacting the state, this funding is coming at a critical time for Michigan’s energy and water infrastructure.
A significant amount of the funds that are included in the budget came from the bipartisan infrastructure deal that passed Congress and was signed by President Biden in November of last year. In response to the state deal passing, Tim Minotas, Sierra Club Michigan’s Political and Legislative Coordinator, had the following to say:
"The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed today by the Michigan legislature is a great down payment for the repairs and upgrades that we must make across our state to deal with climate and other public health impacts. Thanks to leadership from President Biden and Congress, we have unprecedented amounts of money coming to Michigan and Governor Whitmer and the State Legislature deserve credit for working quickly to get money where it needs to go. However, this can't be a one-time deal. We need this level of commitment to ongoing infrastructure upgrades going forward, not short-sighted tax cuts."
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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org