LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Two bills introduced by Upper Peninsula lawmakers passed the Michigan House this week, aiming to improve broadband access and remove barriers for truckers responding to emergencies.
The legislation, introduced by Representatives. Karl Bohnak (R-Deerton) and Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) received strong bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
Broadband Grants Tax Exemption
Bohnak’s bill, House Bill 4287, would exempt federal and state broadband expansion grants from Michigan’s income tax. Supporters say the change will help ensure that more funds are used directly for building broadband infrastructure, especially in rural and underserved areas of the Upper Peninsula.
“We’re talking about making more funds available for the construction of broadband, especially across Upper Michigan and our rural areas,” Bohnak said. “In this day and age, Internet is almost a requirement.”
The House Fiscal Agency estimates the measure could reduce state revenue by $8.4 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, and by about $4 million annually in subsequent years. However, Bohnak said the investment is worth the long-term benefits of expanded internet access.
The bill would apply to grants from federal and state programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. It would also allow recipients to deduct expenses tied to those grants.
Emergency Trucking Restrictions Lifted
The second bill package addresses trucking regulations during declared emergencies. In response to the March ice storms that severely impacted Northern Michigan, Prestin introduced House Bill 4344, which would lift limits on commercial driving hours during a state of emergency.
“Truckers have to be very, very careful when they’re just doing their normal duties to make sure that they get to a destination where they can park before their time runs out,” Prestin said. “What we wanted to do is, during times of emergency, say, you know what, there’s people in danger. There’s people that need help. We need freight. We need emergency services. We need personnel to get from point A to point B. And these types of rules and regulations should not stand in the way of getting help.”
Current regulations, including federally mandated digitized tracking systems, can force trucks to stop once they hit their daily or weekly hour limit—even during emergencies. Prestin’s bill would allow drivers assisting with emergency response efforts to continue working beyond those limits.
Additional bills in the package—House Bills 4343 and 4203—would waive seasonal weight restrictions for emergency vehicles and expand road access to trucks on roads that aren’t designated Class A.
Prestin called the existing restrictions “dangerous roadblocks” that slow down disaster response.
Next Steps
Both pieces of legislation passed the House with wide margins—HB 4287 was approved 97-8 with five members absent—and now move to the Senate.
Lawmakers are set to break next week for the Mackinac Policy Conference and are scheduled to return to session on Tuesday, June 3.
