Any Michigan family knows the best way to stay on top of your budget and pay for the things you need is to keep it simple. That’s why with this state budget, the House of Representatives took the initiative to ensure that every tax dollar paid at the gas pump goes toward fixing our roads. Because as of right now, that’s not how it works.

Right now, the three taxes you pay for every gallon of gas you buy is spliced and diced among multiple priorities—ranging from public education to maintaining airports and bus stops.

We put an end to this shell game and made those areas whole by curbing runaway inefficiencies and waste in our government and cutting administrative costs by 3 percent across the board. We then stopped higher education’s $500 million raid of the School Aid Fund so that we could send more money to our K-12 classrooms.

The House worked hard to straighten out our state budget so we could clearly see where our taxpayer dollars are going. When we did that we were able to send all the taxes paid at the pump to road repairs. We were also able to increase per-pupil funding at our public schools by as much as $180 per student. I was pleased to see our K-12 schools get an increase in this year’s budget, but I know we can do more.

As many of you know, I voted against the House’s education budget proposals. As the husband of one of Michigan’s hardworking school teachers, I could not support an increase in our state’s higher education budget, knowing these funds go to colleges and universities with no guarantee that they are spent on improving educational opportunities for students. I would rather see this investment go toward enhancing our early childhood education programs.

While I am confident this tax shift at pump is the best way forward for Michigan—the work doesn’t stop here. I will continue to support smart policies for our state and keep up the fight for better educational opportunities for our Michigan children.