Michigan House votes to approve road funding plan
For the first time in a decade, a major funding plan to address Michigan's struggling road system is on the state House floor.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants $3 billion more a year to fix the state's crumbling infrastructure, with most of the money coming from imposing new taxes and fees on businesses.
Detroit-area lawmakers, like Rep. Stephanie Young, D-Detroit, say the solution has to appeal to both sides of the aisle.
"We all want the same thing, but it's really incumbent upon us to work together to get to that final product," said Young.
State Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown Township, co-wrote House Bills 4180 through 4187, a package that would contribute more than $1 billion to this effort by replacing the gas sales tax with a revenue-neutral change in the motor fuel tax.
"We're making sure that it's sustainable, first and foremost, that it's not going to raise any taxes. So, the money that people are paying at the pump is going to be the same amount of money that they pay at the pump. That's not going to change," said Thompson.
Both representatives say the biggest obstacle to passing this legislation is figuring out how to lessen the financial burden on the average Michigander.
"We can't have a conversation about roads without talking about everyday essentials for Michiganders. So, finding a way, finding an additional revenue stream opposed to just cutting – we can't cut our way out of this," said Young.
"People want the roads fixed. They don't want to be constantly being promised that it's going to get done. They don't want to see it done with a tax increase and they want those local roads fixed," said Thompson.
If the plans pass both chambers, lawmakers say Gov. Whitmer is expected to approve a bipartisan plan.
