As Adopted by the Senate

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
S. R. No. 223


Senator Buehrer 

Cosponsors: Senators Carey, Faber, Fedor, Gibbs, Gillmor, Harris, Hughes, Kearney, Miller, D., Morano, Patton, Schiavoni, Schuring, Strahorn, Turner, Wagoner, Widener, Seitz, Smith, Husted, Cafaro, Cates 



A RESOLUTION
To support the construction of the new Detroit River 1
International Crossing between the United States 2
and Canada.3


BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       WHEREAS, Canada is the largest foreign trade partner for the 4
United States, the largest foreign trade partner for 35 states, 5
and the second-largest foreign trade partner for ten states; and6

       WHEREAS, Canada is Ohio's top export market; and7

       WHEREAS, Ohio's bilateral trade with Canada for the year 2008 8
was $35.8 billion; and9

       WHEREAS, An estimated 267,500 jobs in Ohio are supported by 10
United States-Canada trade; and11

       WHEREAS, Canadians made more than 605,300 visits to Ohio 12
during 2008, spending more than $138 million; and13

       WHEREAS, Approximately 54% of United States-Canada trade 14
moves by truck and about half (approximately 45.5%) of the trucks 15
use the Detroit and Port Huron border crossings; and16

       WHEREAS, Plans are underway to build an additional 17
international border crossing system over the Detroit River, known 18
as the Detroit River International Crossing, consisting of a 19
six-lane bridge with three lanes bound for the United States and 20
three lanes bound for Canada, connected to new United States and 21
Canadian inspection plazas; and22

       WHEREAS, The Detroit River International Crossing will have 23
an enormous economic impact on the U.S. economy, creating 10,000 24
construction jobs and more than 30,000 indirect jobs during the 25
construction period in the United States; and26

       WHEREAS, The State of Michigan and Transport Canada are 27
pursuing a public-private partnership to finance and deliver the 28
Detroit River International Crossing; and 29

       WHEREAS, The partnership will be in the form of a long-term 30
concession agreement that will seek to maximize private sector 31
participation and financing by allowing for public ownership of 32
the bridge and private financing, construction, operation, and 33
maintenance of the bridge while protecting the public interest; 34
and35

       WHEREAS, The State of Michigan needs legislative authority to 36
enter into the public-private partnership and to enter into an 37
agreement with Canada to build the Detroit River International 38
Crossing; and39

       WHEREAS, A modern border crossing that can support the 40
ever-increasing amount of trade and travel between the United 41
States and Canada is essential to the economies of Ohio, the 42
Midwest, and the United States; now therefore be it43

       RESOLVED, That members of the Ohio Senate do hereby fully 44
support the new Detroit River International Crossing project and 45
any legislation that will allow for its construction and creation 46
of a public-private partnership to finance and deliver the new 47
border crossing; and be it further48

       RESOLVED, That the members of the Ohio Senate encourage 49
initiatives that bring investments in communities hosting the 50
Detroit River International Crossing project and the entire 51
multistate region, including job creation, environmental 52
improvement, increased trade, and other benefits that improve the 53
quality of life of residents; and be it further54

       RESOLVED, That the members of the Ohio Senate recognize that 55
the Detroit River International Crossing will have an immeasurable 56
economic impact on the State of Ohio and will lay the foundation 57
for future productivity, growth, and economic stability of local 58
economies within Ohio; and be it further59

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 60
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of the 61
Michigan Senate, the Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate, the 62
Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, the Minority 63
Leader of the Michigan House of Representatives, the Governor of 64
Michigan, and the Consul General of Canada in Detroit, Michigan.65