Tagged: bridge to canada

Check out Forbes staff writer Joann Muller's in-depth look at the politics behind this month's bridge deal:

-Via Elaine Ezekiel, Michigan Radio Newsroom

At a press conference in Windsor, Ont. today, Gov. Rick Snyder joined Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper to announce the New International Trade Crossing Agreement. This agreement, according to the Governor’s Office, will bolster trade, simplify travel and provide as many as 10,000 temporary and permanent jobs by allowing the construction of a new bridge over the Detroit River connecting the cities of Detroit and Ontario.

Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley announced that they will join Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper and other U.S. and Canadian officials at 12:45 p.m. at  The Hilton Windsor Hotel for what the Governor's Office is calling "an announcement of significant economic importance to Michigan and Canada." Watch the live stream of this announcement here:

Update: live-streaming link taken offline after announcement. Click here for more coverage.

A new bridge to Canada

Officials have struck a deal to build a new Canadian-financed bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The Associated Press released some details this morning:

A summary of the agreement provided Friday morning to The Associated Press states Michigan wouldn't be obligated to pay any of the costs of the bridge. Both countries would be represented on a bridge board, and a Canadian entity would handle design, construction and operation.

A formal announcement from Gov. Snyder and Prime Minister Harper will be made at a press conference later today. We'll post a live stream of the announcement.

Earlier this week, House Republicans took action preventing Michigan tax dollars from being spent on an international bridge project. Advocates for the bridge have been saying no Michigan tax dollars were needed for quite some time.

A referendum on Michigan's emergency manager law headed for November ballot

Michigan's Court of Appeals announced yesterday they will not convene a special panel to review last Friday's decision to allow the emergency manager referendum to go forward.

Challengers of the petition drive said the petitions should not be accepted because the font size was too small. The case could, however, go before the Michigan Supreme Court, as we reported:

The conservative group is challenging the ballot initiative on a technicality that the font size on the petition is too small. They say they will appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court.

“This is a controversy of their own choosing. They chose not to go to the State Board of Canvassers in the beginning," Bob LaBrant said. He's with The Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, the coalition of business groups opposed to the referendum.

Vagina... there, we said it

Yesterday, two Democratic members of the Michigan House of Representatives were barred from speaking in the chamber. One was barred for mentioning her vagina during a floor debate on a package of anti-abortion bills.

Another for an outburst for not being recognized to speak.

MPRN's Rick Pluta reported "this is the first time in memory that lawmakers have been formally barred from participating in floor debates."

State Representatives Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum are both Democrats. Brown made a reference to her vagina in a floor statement.

“I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina,” she said, “but 'no' means 'no.'”

Byrum shouted at the presiding officer after she was not recognized to speak. 

Ari Adler is the spokesman for the House Republican leadership.

“It is the responsibility of every member who serves in the House of Representatives to maintain decorum on the House floor and when they do not do that, there can be actions because of that. And the action today is to not recognize either representative to speak on the House floor," he said.

The Representatives were barred from floor debate for one day.

A recall petition against Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) got the stamp of approval from Monroe County election officials.

The Associated Press reports County Clerk Sharon Lemasters says the vote at the petition clarity hearing was 2-1.

Organizers first started their recall effort against Richardville last year. That petition language was approved, but the signature gathering effort stalled.

This past May, a second petition against Richardville was rejected for vague and unclear language.

Now, organizers hope the third time is the charm. They're targeting Richardville, in part for his support of a new Michigan-Ontario bridge, according to the AP.

Richardville spokesman Matt Marsden says the approved language is "remarkably similar to the last two rejected recalls" and that the senator will review it with his lawyer.

Michigan Republican House lawmakers are trying to keep Governor Snyder from spending any state money to build another bridge across the Detroit River.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a supplemental budget that would prohibit using any state money unless the Legislature authorizes construction of the bridge.

Snyder has planned a big announcement about the bridge for Friday, but won't confirm any details of the plan.

He did say he’s not impinging on the legislature’s fiscal responsibilities, because no taxpayer money will be spent on the bridge.

"The Canadians are being great partners in putting up the dollars for the Michigan part of this project that would be repaid out of tolls, and so there would be no obligation to Michigan taxpayers,” said Snyder. “How can you do better than that?"

Grandville Republican Representative Dave Agema says his goal in amending the supplemental budget is "to stop spending money" lawmakers didn't authorize.

Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun has fiercely battled the proposal. There’s even a petition drive to amend the state constitution in November that would require voters to approve any new bridge.

Unless every news source in the western world is totally wrong, on Friday, Governor Rick Snyder will announce an agreement with Canada to build a new bridge across the Detroit River.

This is good news for Michigan, good news for Canada, good news  for business and, at least temporarily, perhaps even better news for the people  who will fill the thousands of construction and other new jobs that will be created, some permanently.

Governor Rick Snyder had an amazing year last year, getting far more of his program through the legislature than anyone could have predicted. His one major defeat was, in a way, shocking.

That was, of course, his attempt to get a new bridge built over the Detroit River, a bridge that wouldn’t cost Michigan taxpayers anything, and which business leaders say is vitally necessary.