Michigan House Approves Diverting  $1.1B In Earned Income Tax Credits To Fix Michigan’s Crumbling Roads

Roughly 780,500 Michigan taxpayers who make below the poverty limit will see the $140 in tax credits they receive to help feed their families eliminated in order fund repairs to Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure.

The 12-bill package, advanced to the Michigan Senate in a series of mostly-narrow votes, is projected to pump $1.1 billion a year into infrastructure over the next 48 months.

The House GOP roads plan also wants to tax green energy by instituting new surcharges on electric vehicles ($100) and hybrids that get over 40 mpg ($30). The GOP legislature also wants to generate additional revenue by raising the state diesel tax by a meager 4 cents a gallon and indexing all fuel taxes to inflation.

 Doug Rothwell, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, said in a statement to MLive, “The House road funding plan is the wrong direction for Michigan. Michigan needs a permanent, long-term solution to increase road repair funding without raiding the General Fund and hurting other critical priorities that are important to our economy. The revenue should come from the users of our roads and bridges and be sufficient to ensure good quality road and bridge conditions.”

Rep. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, proposed an amendment that would have lowered truck weight limits in Michigan. Thanks to the trucking lobby, Michigan allows the highest weights in the nation and has one of the lowest diesel taxes in the country.