Governor’s Gas Tax Proposal To Fix Roads Blows A Flat In Senate Committee

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potholes-35

Republicans have given the thumbs down to Governor Whitmer’s plan for a 45¢ per gallon gas tax increase to fix the roads. A Senate panel took that out of the budget, instead voting to accelerate $132 million to fix the roads, part of a law passed in 2015. Republican Senator Peter MacGregor of Kent County calls it a more fiscally responsible approach.

“I think this budget is a sound budget right now with revenues that are coming in,” he said. “If we decide to do something different down the road with trying to reach our goals of road funding, that’s the time when we increase the budget, but you can’t budget with money you’re not receiving.”

Had the gas tax increase gone into effect, it would have pushed the total tax to over 71¢ per gallon, which would have been the highest in the country. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and former Governor Rick Snyder have both put the money needed to get Michigan’s roads properly repaired at $1.5 billion a year.