DETROIT – As of Friday (March 18), Michigan drivers pay an average of $4.17 for a gallon of regular gas, meaning a 15-gallon fill-up will cost you $62.55. If you drop the 6% sales tax, that cost is cut by $3.75 to $58.80.
Facing heat over rising gas prices, Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposes to pause the state’s sales tax on gas which sits at 6%.
“A short-term pause is a fiscally-responsible action we can take that will provide drivers relief at the pump right now, not next year, while also protecting funding for road repairs and saving tens of thousands of good-paying construction jobs,” said Gov. Whitmer.
Michigan Republicans say that proposal does little to help drivers at the pump. Instead, they want to suspend the 27 cent gas tax temporarily.
Signaling she would veto that bill, Gov. Whitmer said it would cost the state $750 million in tax revenue.
The gridlock in Lansing has drivers frustrated.
“It’s almost like they can’t make decisions fast enough for us to be able to recover,” said a woman at the pump. “It’s hard for us to even get back up to zero because they spend a lot of time not even deligating but simply fighting and disagreeing with each other.”
Following the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Gov. Whitmer and several other governors called for Congress to suspend the federal gas tax.
Drivers say enough with the politics. They need to focus on these gas prices.
“It’s confusing of like what’s going on behind the scenes and why we can’t just come to an understanding,” said another woman at the pump. “There’s so much politics behind the scenes and people wanting to make sure that their voices are heard. The common point is serving the community that elected you.”
One analyst said the governor opened this pandora’s box by proposing that congress suspend the federal gas tax.
State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said in a statement, “If the governor really wants to help Michiganders, she’ll tell Senate Democrats to support immediately suspending the gas tax. Then we can talk about doing away with the sales tax on gas once and for all.”