LANSING, Mich. – The final day of Michigan's "lame duck" Senate session came and went today without a full vote to authorize a new public bridge between Detroit and Windsor.

This effectively means that the legislation to permit the Michigan Department of Transportation to enter into public-private partnership to build a new Detroit River crossing has been buried.

It's quite possible a new bill will be drawn up from scratch and introduced in the new year, but it would likely face even stiffer opposition with the House, Senate and governorship now under Republican leadership.

Bill 4961 sat idle at the Republican-controlled Transportation Committee for several months due to political pressure from Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun.

Although an "up and down" vote before the Senate was promised by Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop before the fall midterm elections, it never happened.

Bishop reportedly received "major" political contributions from Moroun.

A "Hail Mary" attempt to get the bill discharged from Committee and moved to the Senate floor was postponed both Tuesday and Wednesday in order to muster enough votes.

DRIC proponents who were pessimistic over this last-ditch effort to save the bill were not wrong to feel that way, as the 2010 session closed out without a full Senate vote.

Reportedly, today's attempt to get the bill moved past the committee stage was defeated by a wide-margin as Democratic Sen. Dennis Olshove joined the entire 22-Republican caucus in voting against the discharge motion.

Not even the Canadian government's offer to pay up to $550 million of Michigan's cost of the DRIC project could sway the Senate.

The news is sure to disappoint DRIC backers, including the Ontario Trucking Association, who had been hoping an 11th hour vote would still happen.