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Whitmer signs bipartisan bills into law day before expected budget vetoes

portrait: Whitmer
michigan.gov

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a slew of slew of bills Tuesday and declared it a day to cheer bipartisanship.

She signed a widely popular bill to help pay for upgrades to lake and river ports, many of which are too shallow to handle large, modern freight and tanker ships.

“In Michigan, our waters define us, and we every Michigander is committed to protecting lakes—Great and small—for future generations,” Whitmer said in a statement released by her office. “Today, I am proud to sign bipartisan legislation to grow Michigan’s maritime infrastructure and economy.”

Another new law will regulate high-volume online retailers to make it make it more difficult in Michigan to traffic in stolen or counterfeit products.

Whitmer also signed a bill to boost the penalties for raising false active-shooter alarms in schools and other places.

Whitmer said she’s signed more than 900 bills that were adopted with bipartisan support. That comes a day before she’s planning to sign a budget bill with multiple line-item vetoes to strike provisions that would restrict or discourage abortions.

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener.
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