Rebekah knows that promoting renewable energy is not only key to protecting our environment, but also to establishing the vibrant “green” economy that will create the jobs of tomorrow. To help make Michigan a leader in this regard, she has sponsored legislation to exempt the installation of certain small-scale energy conversion devices using solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, or water energy from property tax assessments. Such legislation seeks to incentivize the investment in clean energy by relieving the property owner of a potential increase in the value of their home.

At the same time, Rebekah has joined with Senator Bert Johnson (D- Detroit) and Senator Tom Casperson (R- Escanaba), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, to sponsor a bipartisan package to create a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) for Southeast Michigan. A public transit system that operates in a specific area, a RTA coordinates services across counties while also streamlining the planning process and the allocation of funds.

Studies show that every $1 billion of investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure supports 36,000 jobs–jobs in manufacturing, construction, finance, insurance and real estate, retail and wholesale trade, and services. These jobs in turn produce roughly $3.6 billion in business sales, and generate nearly $500 million in federal, state, and local tax revenues. In other words, for every dollar spent on mass transit, $4 to $8 is returned in economic activity.

Above all, the establishment of a RTA will not only provide a reliable public transit system for residents living and working throughout Southeast Michigan, but will also surely prove to be an economic development tool for the entire state. As the legislation moves forward, Rebekah stands ready to work with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send this legislation to the Governor’s desk, and to help position the Metro-Detroit area as a true competitor in the increasingly global economy.