Proposed bill would start relief funding to Northern Michigan to help with ice storm toll

Yahoo

16-05-2025

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Almost three weeks after a historic ice storm brought destruction to Northern Michigan, legislators are working on a proposal to bring $300 million in relief to the region.
State Rep. Parker Fairbairn of the 107th district proposed House Bill 4328 on April 16. The proposed bill is a $75 million state budget plan, working in tandem with "any future federal disaster declaration for Northern Michigan," according to a release from Fairbairn's office.
If the plan is approved, $75 million in state relief would be sent to the region, which would be a start to securing an additional $225 million in federal aid. According to Fairbairn's office, federal relief dollars require a 25% match from the state, which would be covered by the $75 million if approved.
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Following the multi-day ice storms at the end of March, tens of thousands of residents faced extended power outages. Some small pockets of the region were still without power weeks later.
Additionally, people faced property damage from fallen trees, electrical towers and power lines. Many roads were impassable for days, limiting access to food and fuel for some.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a State of Emergency for 12 Northern Michigan counties after the storm, and deployed the Michigan National Guard to assist in recovery efforts.
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A recent estimate from the Michigan State Police, according to Fairbairn's release, puts the cost of recovery efforts at upwards of $200 million. Fairbairn said he expects that number to rise.
'As recovery efforts are still ongoing, it's unclear just how financially devastating this storm was for our Northern Michigan communities,' Fairbairn said in a statement. 'There are several debris drop-off locations that have been forced to close because they've filled up, and the local officials have run out of money to get rid of the debris themselves. That's the situation we're facing. Every single dollar at our disposal is going to support recovery efforts, but it's becoming alarmingly clear that we're going to need a lot of dollars if we ever hope to get this mess cleaned up.'
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The proposed $300 million in funding would support disaster relief grants, aiding communities in emergency management assistance. Additionally, they could assist the continued operation of warming centers and purchase of supplies, cleanup and recovery efforts, unemployment benefits and temporary employment opportunities for displaced workers, energy assistance, and the repair and replacement of public infrastructure, according to Fairbairn's release.
State Rep. Ken Borton of the 105th district backed the bill.
'The pictures and videos cannot show the amount of devastation that's up here,' said Borton in a statement. 'I've talked to linemen who have worked across the country, and they've told me they've worked category five hurricanes that weren't this bad. This widespread damage was unprecedented. We still have thousands of people who don't have power and many who can't get to their homes. There is so much debris that's just been pushed into the right-of-way because there's nowhere for it to go and no one to clean it up because we're running out of funding. We've exhausted our resources to the point that it's created a tinderbox we need to address immediately.'
State Rep. Cam Cavitt of the 106th district also spoke in support of the bill.
'This crisis isn't over yet; we still have around 4,000 people out of power in my district,' Cavitt said during testimony on April 16. 'The storm came on a Friday and stayed with us through Sunday. I recorded two inches of ice on my bird feeder outside my home. We had nursing homes without power. We had hospitals without oxygen. We had 911 calls that went unanswered because trees made roads impassable. This was literally a life and death situation.'
In a Facebook post, State Sen. John Damoose of the 37th district said that even if the $75 million in state aid passes, "Federal funding is far from granted."
In the post, he noted Whitmer has formally asked for a presidential declaration of emergency, which would start the process of receiving funds. He also added that U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan's 1st congressional district has been leading the effort to try to access federal funds.
"While I am hopeful these funds are forthcoming, we cannot place all of our hope in receiving any relief from the federal government," Damoose wrote. "North Carolina was just denied approval to extend its full reimbursement period from Hurricane Helene, and we must not forget that Gaylord was turned down in its quest for federal disaster aid after it's devastating tornadoes in 2022."
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More: Amid ice storm recovery, Whitmer seeks federal emergency aid for Northern Michigan
Damoose also shared with his followers on April 16 that he introduced Senate Bill 212, which would forgive the days schools were not in session during the state of emergency, lasting from March 31-April 10.
Each year, Michigan schools are allotted six days where class can be canceled for any reason, whether it be illness, weather concerns or power outages. After six days, school districts can then request a waiver for three additional days off, up to nine. Most districts in the storm-affected region had four or more days off, putting most of them above the allowance of nine.
Damoose said forgiving those additional days "is one of the many practical things we will need to do to provide families and schools stability and peace of mind in the months ahead."
Both Harbor Springs Public Schools Superintendent Brad Plackemeier and Public Schools of Petoskey Superintendent Jeff Leslie spoke during school board meetings the week of April 14 about the issue. They said they have been in communication with their local representatives and legislators, who have told them they are confident the additional days off will be forgiven.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Legislation would start funding to aid Northern Michigan after ice storm