LANSING – A deal was struck Monday among legislative leaders on a supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year, several officials confirmed to Gongwer News Service, but those closest to the discussions remained tight-lipped about the details. At least $100 million will be available to repair Michigan roads.

“It is done,” said Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw Township), chair of the conference committee on SB 608 . “We’re going to discuss it with our caucuses in the morning and then go to the conference committee probably in the afternoon to pass it out.”

Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe), said “the majority leader is satisfied,” but was less certain about how quickly the bill could see action. She said the conference committee on SB 608 may not meet if a majority of the caucus does not approve of the changes.

“He believes it’s a good compromise between the two versions passed by either chamber, respectively,” McCann said. “However, he always leaves room for his caucus members to review it and approve it. He doesn’t like to count his chickens before they hatch.”

Kahn said last week that he and Rep. Joe Haveman (R-Holland), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, had met and agreed to essentially the “cats and dogs” parts of SB 608. But the two biggest points of contention, road funding and resolving a shortfall in the Health Insurance Claims Assessment, would be left to Richardville, House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) and Governor Rick Snyder to figure out.

A source familiar with the discussions said the bill will include more than the $100 million in road funding that the Senate passed. The House upped that ante to $215 million but removed funding needed to fill the Health Insurance Claims Assessment revenue shortfall in the process. How much more than $100 million was unclear Monday night.

It was not immediately clear whether HICA would be funded in this new deal. Mr. Bolger has proposed addressing the HICA shortfall through an added fee on auto insurance policies as part of auto insurance reform. But that is an idea that has circulated for about a year and not yet gained traction.

It had also been suggested that the money used for roads could table individual income tax relief, which many legislators boasted about in the beginning of the year.

Bolger spokesperson Ari Adler also said the speaker was satisfied with the deal. “The speaker is pleased with the overall focus of being fiscally responsible while addressing the needs and concerns of Michigan residents,” he said.

The conference committee is scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Senate Appropriations Room.

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