LANSING, MI — Michigan voters could decide as early as November 2006 whether to prohibit new diversions from the Great Lakes under a constitutional amendment approved by a state House committee, The Associated Press (AP) said in an article reported by the Detroit Free Press.
The House Great Lakes and Tourism Committee has voted 4-0 to send the measure to the full House, which could consider it as early as next week. Some environmentalists and House Democrats have criticized the measure, saying it doesn't go far enough to regulate large withdrawals and puts off the debate until the next general election, the article said.
But Rep. Dave Farhat, a Republican from Fruitport who introduced the resolution, said it's important to put the measure in the Michigan Constitution so state lawmakers could not change it in the future. Only a vote of the people can change the constitution, according to the paper.
In July, a policy for regulating diversions of water from the lakes and uses within the basin was proposed by the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. A public comment period ends next month, after which the groups will consider a final version, the article said.
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