LANSING, Mich. — Monday evening, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the state budget with just hours to go before the midnight deadline. She used line-item vetoes to block nearly $1 billion in spending, including money to repair Smith's Bridge in Ferrysburg.
Last week, Michigan lawmakers put the Ferrysburg bridge on the short-list for replacement in the budget. But hopes of the state providing the funding were dashed Monday evening when $375 million in one-time discretionary funds for roads and bridges were vetoed.
Whitmer is pursuing a permanent increase in transportation spending, saying the discretionary funding "isn't going to change the situation that we're confronting in our infrastructure. In fact, it is the most expensive, foolish way that you can go about fixing an ongoing infrastructure crisis like we have."
State Rep. Jim Lilly (R) of Park Township said he is disappointed that Whitmer vetoed funding for the bridge.
“The governor founded her campaign on building bridges and fixing the damn roads,” Lilly said. “Yet when she’s given the opportunity to repair this bridge that is so integral to our community, she shoots it down in the name of party politics.”
Whitmer visited the crumbling bridge in July, and she indicated that fixing it was a priority.
"We have to get serious about fixing these problems. This is life and death in many ways, but it’s also about our economic future. It's about safety on our roads every single day," she said at the time.
The $947 million in stripped funding could be added back into the $59 billion spending plan later, pending negotiations.
Smith's Bridge was deemed unsafe after a June inspection. A total replacement could cost more than $10 million.
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The Associated Press and the Grand Haven Tribune contributed to this reporting.
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