ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Senators Kowall (C), Hildenbrand (VC), Nofs, Emmons, Hansen, Hunter (MVC) and Smith

Heed the constituents warnings, Sen. Kowall.

A vote this week on a new bridge to Canada looked less likely Tuesday after a key senator said "it would be difficult at best" to muster enough votes to get the bills out of committee.

"There's not been a real warm feeling," about the New International Trade Crossing since hearings began in June, said Sen. Mike Kowall, who chairs the seven-member Senate Economic Development Committee, on Monday.

During hearings, "there hasn't been any earth-shattering evidence that's come into play" that would change senators' minds.

...

Late last week, Kowall scheduled a committee vote for Wednesday following another hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

"But I'm starting to get the feel from the committee that that's not the direction they want to go right now," Kowall, R-White Lake Township, said Monday.

A Senate panel concluded several months of hearings on a proposed public bridge to Canada on Wednesday without putting the contentious issue to a vote.

Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake Township, said there weren't enough "yes" votes to get the bridge bills out of the seven-member Economic Development Committee he chairs and he planned to talk to Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville about what the next step would be.

Richardville, R-Monroe, said Wednesday he might move the legislation to the Government Operations Committee, which he chairs, to improve the chances of moving the legislation to the Senate floor.

"It's not up to me -- I'm a team player," Kowall said when asked how he felt about having the bridge bills removed from his committee without a vote after he and other members heard hours of testimony over several months.

Between talking about the Lions and Tigers, the conversation shifted to other things including this bridge.

The usual arguments came up: money men fighting with other money men who have no issues with using public money to pay for their real-life version of Monopoly.

One driver chimed in with an interesting thought: If Rick Snyder is such the great wheeler and dealer as he makes himself out to be, then why is it that someone like Matty Maroun can build up a company to the point where he can build a bridge all by himself, but Rick Snyder literally needs to go on the public dole to do the same thing?

That comments stuck me as ironic.

Rick Snyder and Michigan republicans have no issues raising taxing seniors along with the rest of us and will kick people off of welfare, all in the name of his bottom line, yet they have no compunctions about pulling themselves a seat up to the public trough to help himself to the same money.

Yes, that turned everyone's head in the driver's room.

Still, Snyder and the pro-bridge forces had not buckled and there was talk Tuesday of Richardville offering a substitute bill or moving bills to another committee.

Several Capitol watchers observed that Snyder pushed through new pension taxes in May when prospects for those changes also looked dim.

Republicans cite a number of reasons for opposing the project. They say:

Traffic volumes don't support a new bridge.

Promises it won't cost taxpayers a dime are too good to be true.

Snyder oversold a deal he struck under which $550 million fronted by Canada would purportedly be converted into $2.2 billion in federal road money for Michigan.

Government shouldn't do what private business is willing to do on its own.

At caucus, "there were people that were vocally opposed," and "there were people who were vocally supportive," said Amber McCann, Richardville's spokeswoman.

Many Republican senators remain undecided and "there's more than one way for this bill to come to the floor."

McCann confirmed Richardville asked the governor's office to back off while he worked the seven-member committee, which has five Republicans, and his caucus for votes.

"If we haven't given up, we're certainly not pessimistic," she said.

Looks like it's time to focus on those in Randy's Committee.

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS:
Teri Ambs, Clerk: (517) 373-3543
Time: Tuesday, 1:00 pm
Room: 402/403, Capitol

Sen. Randy Richardville, Majority Leader (Chair)
Capitol Bldg.
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Room S-106
(517) 373-3543
Fax: (517) 373-0927
Toll-free: (866) 556-7917
E-mail: senrichardville@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, Assistant Majority Leader (Vice Chair)
Billie S. Farnum Bldg.
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Room 920
(517) 373-1801
Fax: (517) 373-5801
E-mail: sendhildenbrand@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Arlen Meekhof, Majority Floor Leader
Capitol Bldg.
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Room S-8
(517) 373-6920
Fax: (517) 373-2751
E-mail: senameekhof@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, Minority Leader (Minority Vice Chair)
Capitol Bldg.
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Room S-105
(517) 373-1734
Fax: (517) 373-5397
E-mail: sengwhitmer@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Tupac Hunter, Minority Floor Leader
Capitol Bldg.
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Room S-9
(517) 373-0994
Fax: (517) 373-5981
Toll-free: (866) 262-7305
E-mail: senthunter@senate.michigan.gov