State Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, today released the following statement after the Michigan Senate declined to take up bipartisan legislation to protect reliable, affordable energy production in the Upper Peninsula, jeopardizing thousands of local jobs:

“The Senate Democrat leadership’s decision to refuse consideration of our plan to protect the U.P. is incredibly disappointing and shows just how out of touch downstate lawmakers are with our way of life. At a time when families and employers are already facing an energy crisis, they chose to look the other way. Kicking the can down the road will only make this problem worse, forcing residents and businesses to pay even higher rates under an unnecessary and unrealistic energy timeline.

“This legislation passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats put politics aside to protect thousands of U.P. jobs and keep communities whole. Steelworkers and employers testified about what these bills mean for businesses powered by the natural-gas generators we’re trying to preserve. Democrat leadership ignored us anyway.

“This fight isn’t over. The U.P. Delegation stands united and will continue working to protect Upper Peninsula energy generation and the jobs it supports. We cannot afford inaction while businesses face closure and families face uncertainty. This week was hard, but we still have a lot of fight left in us.”

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