Lame-duck watch: All eyes on road funding as leaders seek to strike a deal in final days

michigan-capitol-potholes-1.jpg

A rough road near the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on November 14, 2014.

(Jonathan Oosting | MLive.com)

LANSING, MI — Michigan legislative leaders emerged from a meeting with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday evening without a road funding deal in place but with plans to resume talks on Wednesday morning.

The clock is ticking on the Legislature's lame-duck session, and any bills not approved by the end of this week will be declared dead for the year, barring any moves to extend the schedule.

WATCHING THE CLOCK

Senate scheduled session days left: 2
House scheduled session days left: 2

A PATH TO ROAD FUNDING DEAL

Michigan “quadrant” leaders spent about two hours in the governor’s Capitol office on Tuesday evening as they continued to search for common ground on a comprehensive plan to fix the state's crumbling roads.

There are “a lot of different people who are working on a lot of different ideas, so we’ve all got homework to do,” House Speaker Jake Bolger, R-Marshall, told reporters as he left the meeting.

House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, said it was difficult to quantify how close a deal might be, but he indicated there was “a path to agreeing on something.”

There is “not any real specific concrete totality of a proposal yet,” Greimel told reporters. “There are some pieces, there’s an outline, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”

Snyder and legislative leaders are setting their sights on at least $1.2 billion in additional funding for the state’s crumbling roads. The question is where that money should come from.

A Senate plan would increase gas taxes, while a House plan would divert revenue from the sales tax on fuel that would otherwise go to schools and cities. A number of other ideas are on the table as well, and the final product could take many forms.

The quadrant leaders will reconvene Wednesday morning for what should be a critical meeting, according to Greimel. Time is simply running out.

WHAT HAPPENED TUESDAY?

Student athlete union ban: The House gave final approval to a bill that would prohibit unionization by student athletes at any of Michigan's public universities. The bill sponsor says he wants to emphasize the "student" part of the college athlete experience, but critics say the proposal is a solution in search of a problem. More >>

Religious freedom restoration: As protesters gathered outside the Michigan Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, gave his clearest indication yet that the upper chamber is unlikely to take up the House-approved Religious Freedom Restoration Act. More >>

Drunken boating: The Senate signed off on a package of bills increasing penalties and lowering the threshold for drunken operation of a boat, snowmobile or off-road vehicle. The bills, working their way to the governor's desk, would lower the blood alcohol content limit from .10 to .08 grams, just like automobiles. More >>

Drone harassment: The House signed off on a bill that would prohibit the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to harass hunters, sending the bill back to the Senate for final concurrence. The lower chamber has not yet taken up a tie-barred measure that would also prohibit hunters from using drones to scout potential targets. More >>

Contaminated cleanup: The House narrowly approved a bill that environmental groups argue would weaken cleanup requirement for sites contaminated by hazardous substances. State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, blasted the proposal in a floor speech and called it "one more nail in the coffin" of bipartisan work on environmental protections. The Senate must still concur on changes to the bill. More >>

Air gun reclassification: The Michigan Senate gave final approval to a package that would change the definition of "firearm" in Michigan law to exclude Airsoft guns. The NRA, which says the legislation would eliminate "outdated and unduly restraints" on air guns, says Michigan is one of only four states to classify them as firearms. More >>

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.