The state Speaker of the House says a part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s budget is dead on arrival.
Whitmer wants to raise the state’s gas and diesel tax at the pump by 45 cents per gallon. Then use that money to get more than 2 (b) billion dollars to fix the roads.
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield says that’s not going to happen.
“Unfortunately I think the proposal that was put forward is not responsible. The people that we serve cannot afford it. Because of that, they don’t support it. And we need to be responsible with taxpayer dollars that we already have.”
“I’m looking forward to partnering and negotiating with this governor, unfortunately the proposal that she put forward is a nonstarter for my caucus. Because the people in our district cannot afford it. So the gas tax will not be raised 45 cents.”
A spokesperson for Whitmer says the governor is willing to have a serious conversation about all solutions that get 90-percent of the state’s roads to a good or fair condition.