$4.7 billion investment also improves state, local parks; roads, bridges
LANSING, Mich. — The state Senate on Thursday approved a historic plan spearheaded by Sen. Jon Bumstead to make critical improvements to the state’s water, transportation, parks, and broadband infrastructure.
Senate Bill 565, sponsored by Bumstead, would use $4.1 billion in federal funding and $571 million in state resources to make important infrastructure investments across the state, including over $1.7 billion to help communities improve their drinking water and wastewater infrastructure — with at least 25% of drinking water funds dedicated to replacing lead pipes.
Also included was $15 million dedicated to PFAS remediation at an orphaned site in Muskegon that feeds into Lake Michigan to address contamination that threatens drinking water sources.
“Protecting and preserving our clean water is not just a priority for me, but it is also an issue my constituents care deeply about,” said Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. “Every community I represent along the lakeshore has mentioned the importance of clean water, and this legislation will protect water infrastructure in our communities for generations to come.”
The bill features $450 million to make infrastructure upgrades at state and local parks, over $322 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for small local governments, nearly $317 million in federal funding to fixing aging roads and bridges, $250 million to rebuild destroyed or damaged dams and prioritize risk reduction projects at other dams in the state, and $250 million to help improve broadband connectivity to more households and small businesses.
SB 565 also designates $50 million to help install filtered water stations in schools, $60 million to help reduce PFAS or other contaminants from drinking water, $35 million to fix failing septic systems, and $92.8 million for airport infrastructure projects.
“This is a great day for Michigan, and a wonderful example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” Bumstead said. “The historic funding we approved today will make transformative changes to ensure the long-term health and viability of our state’s drinking water and wastewater systems, beloved state and local parks, our roads, bridges and dams, and help provide more people in more places with broadband connectivity. This is a win for every Michigander.”
The bill also includes $46 million in state funds to hold harmless cities, villages and townships whose revenue sharing would be reduced due to the 2020 census. Each local government that qualifies for a 2020 hold harmless payment will receive an amount equal to the overpayment, which is calculated based on revenue sharing distributions issued on or after October 1, 2020 through March 1, 2022.
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