LANSING — Despite a long history of negligence in Michigan, a bill to allow Enbridge to continue operating Line 5 while a tunnel is built in the Straits of Mackinac passed the House today. The legislation was a result of a closed-door deal struck by Gov. Rick Snyder and other Republican leaders. In response, state Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-Huntington Woods) issued the following statement:

“Simply put, this legislation jeopardizes the purity of our water and the livelihoods of thousands of Michigan families by forcing the state into a long-term deal with Enbridge and tying the hands of Governor-elect Whitmer before she ever enters office. The age of prioritizing corporate profits over public health must end now. It’s time for meaningful, long-term solutions, not stop-gap proposals brokered in secret that will cost millions of taxpayer dollars without any guarantee as to the safety of our water and that the new jobs created will go to Michiganders and pay fair wages.”