Like an over-used Schwarzenegger quote, but without the cool Austrian accent, the battle over raising tipping fees is back.
Wednesday afternoon, three bills were reintroduced, based upon the versions that had been debated in 2007, to raise the state’s solid waste surcharge to $7.50 per ton. This issue has been raised as a way to improve recycling efforts in Michigan and as a way to raise the cost of waste disposal to the point where it becomes uneconomical for Canadian trash to be brought here. These bills were immediately posted for a committee hearing Thursday morning, where two of the three bills (HB 5558 and HJR MM) were reported on party-line votes in less than 90 minutes. The third bill (HB 5559), which remains in committee for now, dictates the distribution of the money collected from the fee increase.
Legislators in both parties are scrambling to promote ideas that would raise revenue to restore a number of this year's disastrous budget cuts...it appears that the trash tax is now being included in that mix of ideas. Language in the bills and testimony from the sponsors indicates an interest in using this new revenue to help local units of government. Despite all of the kind words and best intentions, though, these bills have yet to address the League's concerns.
Check back often for more information and details as this issue moves forward.
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