The same day Rep. Michael Murphy, D-Lansing, held a town meeting to oppose a proposed gas pipeline running through Lansing, state senators announced they will not consider a related bill this year.

Last month, the House passed a bill that would give the state government the power to decide if utility pipelines pass through city property on state-owned property. Currently, the city can veto projects.

In the Senate, the bill was sent to the Senate Government Operations Committee, which is chaired by Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming. Sikkema will not take action on the bill, spokesman Ari Adler said.

"It's been sent to that committee so it will die," Adler said. "It's a very complex issue with a lot of implications.

"It's not something we think we can do a good job on when trying to rush it through lame-duck session."

The bill would directly affect a project underway by Houston-based Wolverine Pipe Line Co. A portion of the project would be a 26-mile pipeline that would pass through six communities, including the city of Lansing. Lansing was the only city to oppose the measure because of safety concerns.

The pipeline would replace an almost 70-year-old line that runs through Lansing, East Lansing and Meridian Township.

The bill passed, 61-45, in the House.

Michigan Legislative session is scheduled to end on Dec. 9. Bills cannot be carried over and must be reintroduced during a new session.

Wolverine Pipe Line Co. spokesman Tom Shields said he is disappointed with Sikkema's decision to kill the bill, but he is confident it will be reintroduced early in the new session.

"We're confident that there will be legislation that will not allow any individual city to stop infrastructure that serves the rest of the state," Shields said. "We believe we have strong legislative support."

Shields said in the end, the new pipeline is the safest way to deliver gas to Mid-Michigan and is a necessary improvement. The new pipeline would have the newest technology to protect it against breakage, he said.

Murphy said he was pleased with the decision to stall the bill.

"This effort is really the result of the citizens working to let the legislature and the governor know that this bill was wrong and needed to be stopped," he said.

The town meeting squeezed about 50 people into the a small room of the Lansing Police Department South Precinct, including Lansing Mayor Tony Benavides, City Council members and Ingham County commissioners.

Benavides said he is currently against the pipeline and didn't know what would make it safe enough for him to accept it.

"More and more incidents have taken place," he said. "If we have to do fund raisers or more education propaganda to stop it, we will do it."

The bigger issue is allowing cities to have the final veto on dangerous pipelines, Benavides said.

But Lansing resident Richard Miller said he wants to learn more about the project.

"There's a lot of questions that haven't been answered by either side," he said.

Staff writer Evan Rondeau contributed to this report.