Legislator responds to governor’s State of the State address

Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to bond for road funding is not in the best interest for Michiganders.

“I agree with the recent poll which found that most Michiganders believe our state government already has enough money to fix the roads, without raising taxes,” Glenn said. “And that’s who Gov. Whitmer’s outrageous bonding proposal will fall on – hard-working Michigan families. It’s shortsighted to put our grandchildren and great-grandchildren even further in debt as future taxpayers to pay for road repairs now, when some of the roads we repair now would likely be crumbled again before they can even drive on them. We simply can’t afford this plan when we’re still paying off billions in road bonding debt from nearly 20 years ago.”

Whitmer’s originally proposed 45-cent per gallon gas tax increase last year was broadly unpopular and rejected across the state.

After Whitmer vetoed several funding plans passed by the House and Senate in an attempt to pressure lawmakers to approve a gas tax increase, Rep. Glenn helped restore key measures that will fund essential services throughout the state, including schools and rural hospitals.

“My colleagues and I worked to protect Michigan taxpayers from further tax increases, and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Glenn said. “I’m disappointed in the governor’s new plan. Our roads need to be fixed, but this is not the way to do it. Families in Bay and Midland counties and throughout the entire state deserve real solutions that won’t further strain their family budgets.”