By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – Republican legislative leaders are considering a back-up plan if a voter referendum or a lawsuit strikes down the state's new emergency manager law.
Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville says the state cannot afford to stall the progress being made where emergency managers have been granted temporary authority over local governments.
"This emergency financial manager legislation that we passed earlier in the year has the word emergency' in it for a reason," Richardville says. "This really is emergency stuff. We have people that have pensions, we have people are depending on paychecks that have benefits, and these municipalities can't afford to get these things done."
Lawmakers would have to approve a back-up plan next week if they want it in place before the end of the year. Emergency managers are currently running the cities of Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Flint and Ecorse, as well as the Detroit Public Schools.