DETROIT – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a new plan to fix the state’s crumbling roads, and this time, she said she doesn’t need the support of Republicans to make it happen.
Whitmer has ditched her gas tax and is going in another direction instead. She said the new plan is a major investment in the future of the state, but not everyone is on board.
Everyone can agree Michigan roads are a disaster and need a major upgrade, but settling on a repair plan has proven difficult. Under the new plan, Whitmer said she will rely on state road bonds to fund the work.
That signals about $3.5 billion in funding, which will help cover the cost of 122 new road projects. The work will focus on I-, U.S. and M-numbered roads, not local roads.
Whitmer said she had no choice but to make this move. Her 45-cent gas tax went nowhere because it was unpopular with voters. She said Republicans didn’t want to play ball.
Her new plan doesn’t have unanimous support, either. Some Republicans say this is the wrong move for the state, claiming it’s like a consumer running up a massive amount of credit card debt.
They say it solves one problem and creates another one.
On Thursday morning, the Transportation Commission authorized the sale of $3.5 billion worth of road bonds to make Whitmer’s plan a reality.
You can watch Hank Winchester’s full story in the video posted above.