Last night the full House Appropriations committee reported out the transportation budget, including $20 million less than the Governor’s recommendation. Representatives Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) and Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland) tried a variety of amendments to restore the cuts which were all, ultimately, unsuccessful. They should be commended for their attempts to protect public transportation funding.
What next? The budget bill, HB 4526, will go to the floor of the full House of Representatives for a vote next week. There will be attempts to restore the cuts through amendments on the House floor.
Contact your state representative and urge them to support Governor Snyder’s budget proposal to fully fund passenger transportation – reject attempts to cut $20 million from transit!
Thanks to our partners at MPTA and MEC for all of their work on this.