Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling for streamlining the state’s permitting process — including a reduction in the types of projects that require regulatory approval.
It was one of the proposals Whitmer outlined Wednesday in her State of the State address.
“There’s a huge opportunity here for bipartisanship because I think we can agree things shouldn’t take so long,” she said. “You shouldn’t need to get a permit to sell ginseng, install a model train or lime your soil. If you want to fix your driveway, you shouldn’t have to wait more than 90 days to get started.”
The Democratic governor said it is possible to speed up the permitting process and reduce bureaucracy that can hold up construction projects and make them more expensive. Whitmer said regulators who don’t meet deadlines should have to refund permit application fees. She said this would also help accelerate the construction of homes and apartment buildings to help address Michigan’s affordable housing shortage.
Whitmer signed an executive directive in 2023 to accelerate the permitting process and refund fees in some cases, but she said that her proposal this year would require legislative approval. She did not reveal details, including what specifically she wants from the Legislature. She would have to win support from Republicans and Democrats because of divided power in the Legislature.
Republicans said this would be an overdue reform that could reduce bureaucracy, but they’re waiting on details.
“I hope she’s serious to actually getting down to get a real timeline to issue these permits, examining what permits are actually needed, and what licensing is actually needed,” said Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township). “Because at the end of the day I have issue after issue from businesses across the state that can’t get those at the right way.”
Christy McGillivray with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter said she is also waiting on details, but the state’s top priority should be public health and safety over business interests.
“It’s protections, right?” she told Michigan Public Radio. “Regulations are protections. Protections for people in Michigan that take into account more than corporations making as much money as possible are incredibly important and those should absolutely not fall to the wayside.”
But McGillivray said her environmental organization would be pleased if streamlined permitting clears the way for clean energy projects to be up and running sooner.
