Although specifics were not included in his State of the State address Wednesday evening, Governor Rick Snyder did urge the Legislature to act on a new transportation funding proposal and referenced a $1.4 billion underinvestment in infrastructure.
The new proposal is reportedly expected to be introduced in coming weeks in the form of a 13-bill bipartisan legislative package that would call for an increase in the wholesale percentage gas tax as well as an increase in vehicle registration fees.
The Governor’s revenue-neutral 2011 transportation funding proposal saw little movement and considerable criticism by the Legislature and the public. The old plan called for a similar increase in the wholesale percentage gas tax, a larger increase in vehicle registration fees, and an elimination of the 19-cent per gallon gasoline and 15-cent per gallon diesel fuel taxes.
The new proposal is reported to raise an additional $1.4 billion for infrastructure funding.