LANSING — Today, the House of Representatives finished passing the collection of bills comprising the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget, including funding for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Despite House Democrats introducing a number of amendments, House Republicans ultimately rejected them, resulting in budgets that fail to adequately fund road repairs, schools, or the infrastructure upgrades needed to ensure Michiganders have access to clean water. In response, state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), who introduced an amendment to the DEQ budget to provide funding for landfill regulation enforcement, issued the following statement:

 

 “Given our state’s abundance of natural resources, we have a duty to protect those resources and the jobs they provide for hardworking families by holding polluters accountable. Michigan deserves lawmakers who are willing to be leaders in the fight for responsible management and preservation of the environment. While today’s budget failed to provide the funding needed for that fight, I’m committed to seeing a final budget passed that ensures regulators have the resources they need to hold bad actors accountable and guarantee the safety and security of our communities.”

 

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