After putting up the bill twice and not having enough votes, the House of Representatives finally passed SB 909, the main bill in the Regional Transit Authority package. The 3rd time was the charm, as the bill passed on a 57-50 vote (with 3 not voting).

The bill passed with only Republican votes, as all Democrats except one voted against the legislation as part of their protest of the Republicans bringing up right-to-work. SB 909 now goes to the Governor for his signature.

The House also took up 911, which allows for a vehicle registration fee to go to the voters, which passed on a 57-50 vote after a few attempts. SB 912 (zoning bill) and SB 967 (allowing local road agencies and MDOT to enter into an agreement with the RTA) did not have the votes to pass when they went up on the board. It is expected that the House will try again with those two bills on Tuesday.

Nikki Brown is a Legislative Associate for the League handling economic development issues.  She can be reached at [email protected] or 517-908-0305.