Update of Final Version. Anatomy of a Bill that Sped up a Pipeline & Transmission Line Tunnel – InfoHive

As signed by Michigan’s Governor, SB 1197 (2018 | MI) will:

Include a plan for recruiting, training, and using Michigan workers for the tunnel project;
Allow for multiple utilities to use the tunnel;
Provide that the tunnel is built to last and will contain potential oil spills in the Straits of Mackinac;
Limit liability for the state, the authority, and members of the authority;
Require that all necessary government approvals be obtained for the tunnel;
Prohibit the use of eminent domain to acquire property for the project;
Ensure the state bears no cost for design, construction, operation and maintenance of the tunnel;
Ensure that any privately owned portion of the project – including the above-ground entrances and any utility lines within the tunnel – are subject to taxation; and
Reimburse the MBA for any net loss of profit for leasing space for telecommunication lines.

Refreshing our recollection:

Michigan has a pipeline company that wants to put in a tunnel. There’s people on both sides. How do you solve it?

create the The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority
not allow the authority to use eminent domain
not allow the authority to be sued
will be governed by 3 governor appointees with 6 year terms
The MI Governor’s policy statement
- “protect the Straits of Mackinac and the Great Lakes while ensuring energy stability for Michigan.”