LANSING, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers moved quickly Thursday to start approving $30 million to help pay the water bills of Flint residents facing a lead-contaminated water supply.
The bill, passed unanimously by the Senate a day after Gov. Rick Snyder formally announced the plan, goes to the House for its consideration as early as next week.
Snyder says the assistance would provide a credit for the estimated portion of residential customers’ utility bills for water that has been or will be used for drinking, cooking or bathing from 2014 until this spring, when officials hope the water is declared safe to drink again without a filter.
The city’s supply was switched from Detroit water to the Flint River in 2014, but not properly treated, resulting in corrosion of lead pipes.
Residential customers would still be responsible for paying for water used for other purposes, such as to flush toilets or wash clothes. Commercial customers would get a smaller credit.
Majority Republicans rejected Democrats’ calls to double the appropriation to $60 million so residents would be fully credited for the water portion of their water/sewer bill.
Under Snyder’s plan, residents would be credited for 65 percent of the water portion of their bill, which equates to about 30 percent of a water/sewer bill.
The Senate vote was a surprise because Snyder was not expected to officially unveil the legislation until his 2016-17 budget presentation next week.
The Legislature has approved $37 million in emergency funding for Flint for the current fiscal year.
Republicans also blocked a Democratic amendment to add $3.5 million to expand eligibility for nutrition benefits and services to children up to age 10 in Flint. The federal government recently denied Snyder’s request to expand the age cutoff, which is 5, so Democrats sought to use state money to do so.
Republicans said they are not opposed in concept to additional nutrition spending, but further study should be done identifying how much is required.
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