UP lawmakers discuss energy legislation in town hall meeting

MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - U.P. legislators met with residents to talk about energy legislation that’s set to go to the governor to be signed.

State Senator Ed McBroom and State Representatives Greg Markkanen and David Prestin were at a town hall meeting Thursday night. They answered questions from constituents about energy bills that recently passed the Michigan legislature.

Questions ranged from the cost of green energy alternatives to where solar and wind farms will be built. McBroom said these topics help inform what the next steps are when it comes to legislation.

“It helps me communicate to my colleagues what my folks back home are thinking. It helps me to talk to them and say hey, have you asked your constituents if they’re thinking along these lines? It also helps bring the local issues really to form,” McBroom said.

McBroom said he would host a similar meeting to hear more from residents. Markkanen said the goal now is a focus on possible changes.

“The bill is going to the governor’s desk and hopefully we’ll get back in the session next year and we can maybe do some amendments or modifications,” Markkanen said.

In a statement, State Representative Jenn Hill said “We also have an opportunity to draw down a historic allocation of federal funds through the implementation of these policies, bringing further investment to the state. I am eager to see the U.P. capitalize on this once-in-a-generation event,” Hill said.

There is another meeting with Marquette Township officials scheduled for Nov. 20. McBroom said discussions about the energy bill will continue when the legislature reconvenes after the new year.

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