Slams Senate for refusing to act on his $100 million ice storm recovery bill

State Rep. Parker Fairbairn on Tuesday announced that he has, thus far, secured $14 million for ice storm recovery efforts in Northern Michigan. The relief dollars come as part of a larger effort to push for the passage of House Bill 4328, a $100 million supplemental appropriations bill to provide relief for residents, small businesses and local governments that have drained their financial resources and still have significant repair and clean-up work to be done.

“I’m pleased to have been able to secure this initial $14 million in ice storm relief funding for our Northern Michigan communities through the state budget,” said Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs. “There was no way I was going to let a budget deal happen without some level of ice storm relief. The Senate must end the blockade and pass House Bill 4328 and provide real relief to the 12 counties affected by the storm.”

In April, the Michigan House of Representatives moved swiftly on Fairbairn’s $100 million plan because of the urgent need for funding up North. Communities had run out of funding for recovery efforts, leaving damaged homes, downed trees, cluttered roads and trails, and financially overextended local municipalities. Despite nearly unanimous, bipartisan support for the plan by members of the House, Senators from across Michigan sat on their hands and refused to act or call for action on the recovery plan.

“It shouldn’t take this long to get ice storm relief dollars approved,” Fairbairn said. “The House acted quickly and deliberately to secure funding. We understood the urgency, so I am shocked to see my colleagues in the Senate allow this much–needed relief to languish in committee for five months. They haven’t proposed their own plan or even offered amendments to mine; they simply set it aside and did nothing – for months – while northern Michiganders did their best to get through this catastrophe without help from the rest of the state. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re from; this delay is unacceptable and an outrageous example of poor governance.”

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