Why Michigan is spending millions on drone infrastructure

Michigan Democrats are spending millions to try and unlock economic opportunity in the skies.

The intrigue: Republicans blasted Democratic leaders for including $7.5 million in the state budget to continue building out the state's drone infrastructure, which lawmakers say will help make Michigan a leader in air mobility.

• Industry advocates say drone systems can be used for more than small deliveries, including monitoring road conditions and assisting first responders in assessing victims of accidents or natural disasters.

What they're saying: "We're talking about statewide infrastructure that starts allowing us to untap the potential of air mobility," state Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton Township), who helped craft the transportation budget, tells Axios. "Investments like this can help set us apart from our peer states — the hope is we establish ourselves as a leader in this space."

Zoom in: After the Michigan Department of Transportation was allocated $17 million in last year's fiscal budget, its Office of Aeronautics tapped Detroit-based Airspace Link — headquartered inside the Newlab Michigan Central building — to prepare a feasibility analysis outlining implementation for commercial drones to deliver items over the Traverse City region, Metro Detroit and the Detroit-Windsor crossing.

• The study lays out a repeatable blueprint for shared-use digital and physical infrastructure that can be implemented across the state supporting drone operations at scale.