This week, Michigan’s 21^st Century Infrastructure Commission released their report outlining a long-term strategy to meet the state’s infrastructure needs.  The commission was created by Governor Rick Snyder through Executive Order, to review the state’s infrastructure and to study what needs to be improved upon and what the needs will be in the coming decades.  “The Governor first called for the creation of the commission in his State of the State address in January.  The administration and the legislature have been working to tackle the problem of the state’s crumbling infrastructure for years.  In addition to fixing the problems, the Governor called on the commission to find ways to ensure Michigan stays on the cusp of new technology and innovation as it relates to infrastructure in the coming years,” stated Tim Ward of MLC.

The final report includes over one-hundred recommendations, including:

• Investment in replacing aging water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure.
• Revise regulations to provide safe, affordable drinking water and wastewater disposal.
• Meet the needs of both urban and rural communities by providing a robust transit network.
• Invest in roads and bridges to ensure they are in good or fair condition.
• Construct a new Soo lock to eliminate the potential for long-term loss of eleven million jobs nationally.
• Reexamine existing funding mechanisms and the potential for new funding options to build strong, healthy communities.
• Meet 30% of electric energy needs from the cleanest sources.
• Lead in the development, deployment, and adoption of new technologies and the creation of smart environments and communities.
• Make Michigan a top-five state for broadband access and adoption.
• Find innovative ways to defend critical information, coordinate access and identity management, and embrace new and emerging technologies.

To view the executive summary, please click here, or to read the full report, please click here.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.