LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — A $3.1 billion road funding plan from Republicans has passed through the Michigan state House but not without opposition.
The package of eight bills would not raise taxes on everyday Michiganders, but it would reallocate funding from other areas of the budget.
While some Democrats did support parts of the eight-bill package, many did not, expressing concerns over losing funding elsewhere.
“I'm for it, but at what cost to us?” driver Danisha Herrod of Ypsilanti said.
Herrod worries about the impact of large construction project but also worries about an increase to her taxes.
“It's very important because a lot of people are suffering already,” Herrod said. "To increase in any shape or form is going to hurt us instead of help us.”
Speaker of the House Matt Hall, R-Richmond, held a press conference before Wednesday’s session, highlighting that their plan includes no tax increase and simply reallocates funding, with a focus on local roads and bridges.
“Under the House Republicans' plan, they (local officials) are going to get double the money in their counties. That’s a big deal,” Hall said.
A key piece of the bill package makes all tax paid at the pump go directly toward roads instead of going toward other funds. Doing so would take about $650 million away from the school aid fund. Instead, $755 million would be diverted from the general fund to the school fund. However, many Democrats have concern.
“The road funding plan that we are looking at today could blow a hole in K-12 funding and can lead to a whole lot of uncertainty in higher education,” said Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer previously proposed her own $3 billion road funding plan. She responded to the Republican plan passing the House.
"We are encouraged to see the legislature make roads a priority, but the current legislation moving through the House does not achieve the goal,” Whitmer's office said in a statement. "Michigan drivers have been calling for a sustainable, long-term road funding solution that fixes the roads with the right mix and materials. The governor is open to suggestions from Republicans and Democrats, but inaction is not an option. After the legislature comes back from spring break, we hope to get the House and Senate together at the negotiating table to hear their ideas for a bipartisan agreement that gets the job done."
“We're not raising people's taxes, guys. And we're not saddening our future generations with additional debt from this plan," said Rep. Jamie Thompson, D-Brownstown. "This is a funding shift with money that we already actually have that's actually going to address a long time problem without raising taxes on Michigan citizens.”
While Republicans have praised their plan as the answer, it still has to pass through the Democrat-controlled Senate, but the party as a whole has already spoken out against it.
“With this plan, MAGA Matt Hall is committing to raising prices and cutting funding from local communities for law enforcement and housing, not to mention making it harder to get a good-paying job in Michigan. Clearly, MAGA Matt is taking a page out of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unelected billionaire playbook at Michigan’s expense," said Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “The bottom line is that MAGA Matt’s plan makes life harder for Michiganders and creates more problems than solutions. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting to ensure that we continue to invest in our infrastructure while growing the economy because at the end of the day, everyone deserves a chance to thrive.”
