Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signs $28 million spending bill to address Flint's water emergency

Michigan governor signs $28M bill to address water crisis

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on Flint's water crisis and efforts to fix the problem of lead in the drinking water (all times local): 12:50 p.m. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law $28 million in emergency funding to address Flint's lead-contaminated water crisis. It's the second round of state aid since the fall, when improperly treated water was found to have leached lead from pipes into the city's supply. The Republican governor signed the measure Friday at a Michigan Press Association meeting in Grand Rapids. He says the funding will provide immediate resources in Flint but is not the end of state assistance. The money is intended to pay for bottled water, faucet filters, testing kits, additional school nurses, medical treatment and to help the city with unpaid water bills. There is also funding to hire outside experts to assess whether Flint's water system infrastructure must be replaced or repaired. ___ 10:20 a.m. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he's still focused on resolving Flint's crisis with lead-tainted drinking water, despite hecklers and other vocal critics. Snyder told radio station WWJ-AM that he was heckled Thursday night while dining at a restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor. He says "other things like that have been going on for some time now" and that the criticism makes him "feel terrible," but that he remains focused on resolving the city's problems. Ann Arbor resident Laura Tanner told The Ann Arbor News that she and a friend gave Snyder an earful at the Old Town Tavern. She says she yelled "How was your water? Was it clean?" at the Republican governor Protesters have been rallying outside Snyder's residence, saying he didn't act swiftly enough to help Flint residents. ___ 9:50 a.m. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he wasn't aware that the state offered fresh bottled water for state employees in Flint starting in January 2015, although residents were told that tap water was safe to drink until last fall. Snyder told WWJ-AM in an interview Friday morning that he had "no knowledge of that taking place." He says his understanding is that the use of bottled water at the state building in Flint was because of warnings by the Flint officials that were issued at the time. Flint residents are now warned to drink only filtered or bottled water because of lead contamination. The agency that manages state buildings said Thursday water coolers were introduced at the building after Flint flunked some drinking water standards that weren't related to lead. ___ 9:30 a.m. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will soon sign into law $28 million in emergency funding to address Flint's lead-contaminated water. It's the second round of state aid for the city since the crisis was confirmed in the fall. The Republican governor is expected to sign the measure Friday at a Michigan Press Association meeting in Grand Rapids. He says the funding will provide immediate resources in Flint but is not the end of state assistance. The money will pay for bottled water, faucet filters, testing kits, additional school nurses, medical treatment and to help the city with unpaid water bills. There is also funding to hire outside experts to assess whether Flint's water system infrastructure must be replaced or repaired. Improperly treated water leached lead from pipes into drinking water.

The Latest: Governor signs $28 million in aid for Flint