Legislator Shelves GRDA Bill

repleslieosborn

A bill that could open the door to the state sale of the Grand River Dam Authority is being shelved this legislative session, according to its author.

Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, announced this week she is pulling the bill which would outline how the state could divest the GRDA if it were to become necessary.

House Bill 1852 was awaiting consideration in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee which is chaired by Osborn.

“House Bill 1852 was intended to create a practical path to study how the state could unlock the value of Grand River Dam Authority,” said Osborn in announcing the move. “The issue is emotional for many in the area served by the GRDA and my bill created a lot of good conversation regarding this issue, but also a lot of confusion and uncertainty.”

She said the discussion needs logic and reason and she plans to ask for an interim study to explore in deeper detail the issue.

“The state is experiencing a financial crisis with no end in sight. The only responsible way to approach our current fiscal situation is to examine every possible option for generating revenue for our state,” added Rep. Osborn. “Our goal was not to divest the state of GRDA but to start a discussion and develop an orderly process to determine if it would be prudent and plausible to do so, if necessary.”