LANSING, Mich., March 10, 2022 — The Michigan House of Representatives voted yesterday to pass House Bill 5570, a bill that would pause the collection of the state’s gas and diesel taxes until Oct. 1. The move would reduce revenues to the state’s transportation fund by $725 million without any plans to backfill that amount. State Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) issued the following statement after voting against the bill.
“As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am responsible to ensure that Michigan’s budget is sustainable and fiscally responsible. In these times, we have a special responsibility to ensure we protect the federal funding that has been designated to our state for strategic and meaningful purposes. Without a concrete plan to replace lost revenue, we would be permanently taking nearly $725 million away from the state’s transportation budget. This funding is desperately needed to fix our crumbling infrastructure and create good-paying, union jobs. Michigan’s citizens want to fix our roads and fund our schools — and they don’t want to send funding back to D.C.”