Road Funding Debate Rages On

Two state legislators faced off at the Capitol in a debate about hiking taxes to fix Michigan’s roads.

Lawmakers are currently trying to find $1.2 billion to repair the state’s roads and bridges and proposals to raise that money have included tax and fee increases.

But Senate Republican Patrick Colbeck says fixing the problem shouldn’t cost that much. He says the solution is making better roads that cost less to maintain. Colbeck says that could be done with $700 million in redirected funds.

However Senate Democrat Curtis Hertel says that’s not a sustainable plan. He says the state has been trying to maintain the roads with existing funds for years and the roads are crumbling.

Legislative leaders most recently discussed a roads plan that included $400 million in existing revenue and $800 million from fee and tax increases.

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The Republican leader in the Michigan Senate is calling for the House to take action on a roads funding plan.

Legislative leaders and the governor had been working on a roads plan that included using $400 million in existing revenue and $800 million raised through tax and fee increases, but got hung-up last week on how tax relief should be part of the deal.

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof says the House should call a conference committee on that deal and go get the votes.

He says he thinks citizens want the roads deal completed, so lawmakers should put the compromise plan up for a vote.

The plan still includes an income tax cut triggered by General Fund growth, a component House Democrats are not on board with.

But Meekhof points out the plan guarantees road funding, but gambles on tax relief.