Senate Majority
Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) announced Tuesday that a six-person work
group has been selected to explore transportation funding, truck weight fines,
and other related topics. The team is expected to meet for the first time in
August. Majority Leader Richardville, Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof
(R-West Olive), Senator Mike Kowall (R-White Lake Township), Minority Leader
Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing), Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), and
Senator Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park) will make up the group. The House of
Representatives is not expected to be involved in the discussion at this time.
According to Mr.
Richardville, the Senators that make up the group are all genuinely interested
in solving the infrastructure problem. Spokesperson for Ms. Whitmer, Bob
McCann, agreed that all members in the group are willing to discuss solutions
to the problem, but he added that Senate Democrats are still focused on making
sure that a tax hike would not burden low-income Michigan residents.
Mr. McCann continued
saying that the decision to join the work group does not mean that Senate
Democrats are committing to any solutions.