State Representative Beth Griffin is hailing Michigan House passage of legislation designed to increase access to broadband internet in rural areas. Her bill exempts broadband equipment from personal property taxes when a provider installs it in areas lacking broadband service. Griffin told lawmakers it’s essential for everyone to have access to fast internet.
“This issue has only been exacerbated since all our lives in the state went virtual approximately a year ago,” Griffin said. “Students, teachers, families, businesses, and anyone working from home needs effective broadband to be successful, whether it’s an online classroom or an online boardroom.”
Griffin says the legislation will help make it cost effective for broadband providers to expand into areas they don’t currently serve, and her bill helps relieve that. Broadband is costly to install, which is a problem in rural areas that often have so few customers companies don’t see a return on investment. Griffin calls Wednesday’s House vote “a huge win for Michigan families.”
