State Democrats Not Backing Sales Tax Hike

The ballot proposal to raise the state sales tax to improve Michigan roads is not generating the support of some top Democrats.

Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters says he doesn’t like the sales tax option and the May 5th referendum itself represents a failure of leadership by Governor Rick Snyder and the Legislature to resolve the issue on their own without a vote of the people.

Peters says he will return home to vote on the proposal and is leaning towards a “no” vote.

Senate Democratic leader Jim Ananich, who helped craft the ballot proposal, complains the Safe Roads Yes! campaign has been slow to start and so far Democrats have been left out of the strategy sessions on how to sell it to voters.