Clinton Township

Lane appointed to transportation committee

By Nico Rubello
C & G Staff Writer

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — At a time when the state’s roads and regional mass transit are certain to make headlines, state Rep. Marilyn Lane, D-Fraser, will serve as the top Democrat of the Michigan House Transportation Committee.

Besides being the Democratic vice chair of the committee, Lane also will be serving as a member on the House Energy and Technology, Elections and Ethics and Financial Services committees during the 2013-14 term.

House leaders announced committee assignments for all representatives on Jan. 24. In the state Legislature, a representative from the majority party, Republicans, has a chair and vice chair on each committee, while the minority, Democrats, gets a vice chair.

Lane, who represents Fraser and a large portion of Clinton Township in the state House, said she looks forward to putting her mix of private- and public-sector experience to work on the committees.

Besides serving as a Fraser mayor between 2003 and 2007, she has roughly 30 years of private-sector experience, including working as a business development representative at construction contractor Roncelli Inc., where she chaired the alternative energy division. She also owned her own real estate development business.

All of these experiences would prove to be useful on her committee assignments, she said.

During his State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder called for the Legislature to add another $1.2 billion for Michigan’s road infrastructure. The governor’s plan includes replacing the current 19-cents-per-gallon gas tax with a percentage tax based on the wholesale price, as well as raising vehicle registration fees.

Lane said there isn’t a lot of support among lawmakers for the governor’s proposal, but she did agree that more investments are needed in Michigan’s road infrastructure. She firstly would like to look into whether current revenues could be allocated more efficiently, she said.

“It’s very hard for us to go back to the taxpayers,” she added. “We need to find something that is palatable.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Nico Rubello at nrubello@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1118.