Advocacy News – November 9, 2021
In an unusual late-night session Friday, Congress passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, now headed to President Biden for his signature. The sweeping legislation will allocate federal funding for a broad array of infrastructure projects, from bridges and roads to water and broadband. All in all, the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act translates to over $10 billion that will soon be on its way to Michigan coffers.
Some of the more specific breakdowns of program funding include:
- $7.3 billion to fix state roads and $563 million for bridge replacement or repairs.
- $1 billion to improve public transportation across the state.
- $1.3 billion to improve water infrastructure to address Michigan’s 500,000 lead service lines, as well as some 11,000 sites affected by PFAS.
- $100 million to expand high-speed internet access to an additional 398,000 Michiganders.
- $110 million to boost the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
With the Michigan Legislature and Whitmer administration still at odds over how to spend billions in COVID-19 relief dollars, it is unclear as to when and how this new influx of federal infrastructure funding will be spent.
To learn more, please reach out to Mike Alaimo at malaimo@michamber.com.