Michigan House OKs plan to let industry officials help oversee environmental rules
Environmentalists have likened the proposal to the proverbial “fox guarding the henhouse,” but GOP lawmakers and business groups contend it would add oversight to decisions made by unelected bureaucrats. . . . “Corporations are people, too,” said Rep. Tommy Brann, R-Wyoming, speaking in support of proposal. “They live in the same state we do. They care about the environment. They have kids that live in Michigan.” Brann, who owns the Brann’s Restaurants chain in West Michigan, said he wants “all Michigan citizens to have a voice” in environmental rules, “and yes, that includes job creators and corporations.” Most Michigan businesses don’t intentionally engage in practices that damage the environment, but sometimes their drive for profits can lead them to act irresponsibly, said Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. “A vote for this bill is a vote for the polluters and puts our environment and the health of Michigan families in jeopardy,” she told colleagues. House Democrats voted against the rules review proposal and were joined by six Republicans (Detroit News)
No Comments