LANSING – Governor Rick Snyder’s veto pen might get its first use with Snyder unsupportive of a bill sent to him Thursday by the Legislature that would largely prohibit state departments from issuing rules stricter than federal regulations.

Before breaking for a two-week recess, both chambers were actively finishing a package of bills dealing with state rules and permitting in an attempt to streamline the process.

The main bill, HB 4326 , which would require state rules to be no more restrictive than federal rules, unless specified in statute or done through an emergency rule, passed the Senate along a partisan 25-11 vote. The House concurred, 59-48.

Snyder communications director Geralyn Lasher said the language did not reflect a compromise with the administration.

“The governor’s been pretty consistent on this,” she said. “The governor has some serious concerns where there are places where this just isn’t going to be possible.”

Asked if Snyder might veto the bill, Lasher said, “There’s certainly a possibility of that. We have voiced our concerns.”

Environmental groups reacted to the votes by saying the legislation would decimate the governor’s ability to protect the state’s freshwater system. They pointed to the move by former Governor William Milliken in the 1970s to ban phosphorus in laundry detergent as a way to restore Lake Erie as one example of how the bills would hurt Michigan.

“Federal water quality standards are designed to be the floor below which states are not allowed to drop,” said James Clift, of the Michigan Environmental Council. “This law assumes that rules written in Washington for waters in other states are good enough to protect our Great Lakes. They are not.”

Other groups opposing the bills were the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, Clean Water Action, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, and the Ecology Center.

But the Michigan Chamber of Commerce expressed support for the changes.

“This legislation is a win for job providers because it creates checks and balances on the rules state government places on job providers in Michigan,” said Jason Geer, Small Business Advocate for the Chamber. “HB 4326 prescribes the predictability that job providers deserve; except in cases of a state emergency, the Legislature will have final say on the outer limit of our state laws and regulations.”

The clash is something of a surprise. For several weeks, Republican lawmakers and the Snyder administration have talked about giving the legislation more flexibility. Administration officials have voiced concern that the legislation would cripple the state’s ability to implement rules where no federal regulations exist.

The Senate temporarily postponed voting on HB 4240 and did not revisit that issue during the remainder of session. That bill would denote agency bulletins and operational memorandums as advisory only, and not given the force of law.

But the Senate finished voting on HB 4017 (27-9), HB 4042 (25-11), HB 4043 (34-2), HB 4500 (27-9) and HB 4573 (27-9).

The House approved the Senate portions with overwhelming support, except for SB 275 , which was approved by a vote of 66-41.

SB 271 was approved 104-3. SB 272 was approved 100-7. SB 273 was approved 102-5. SB 274 was approved 100-7. SB 276 was approved 103-4. SB 277 was approved 94-12.

The rules were suspended to concur with the Senate changes to HB 4573 (77-30), HB 4042 (101-6) and enrolled were HB 4017 and HB 4043.

The Senate did not take up its bills prior to adjourning.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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