In
the ongoing battle to raise roughly $1 billion for road funding in Michigan,
the Senate was finally successful in passing a measure back to the House late
Thursday afternoon.
After
several more failed attempts (beyond the many in June), the S-13
substitute of House
Bill 5477 was passed on a 23-14 vote. It took three attempts at adopting
the substitute, one non-roll call and two roll call votes, before the chamber
could even consider the matter. When the first roll call vote failed, the
Senate recessed for about an hour after which the substitute was adopted
without a roll call vote and the Senate moved very quickly to voting on final
passage.
The bill would replace the
current cents per gallon tax structure (19 cents per gallon on gasoline, 15
cents per gallon on diesel fuel) with a tax at the wholesale level. Under the
bill, the percentage would start at 9.5 percent as of April 1, 2015 and move to
11.5 percent on January 1, 2016, 13.5 percent on January 1, 2017, and 15.5
percent on January 1, 2018.
A
very similar measure was voted on in June and failed 17-21. The difference in
vote tally today were moves from “no” to “yes” from Senators Darwin Booher
(R-Evart), Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan), Goeff Hansen (R-Hart), Howard Walker
(R-Traverse City), Morris Hood (D-Detroit), and Coleman Young (D-Detroit).
Ten
Democrats joined 13 Republicans in supporting the measure. Senator John
Moolenaar (R-Midland) was absent:
“Yes”
votes include: Senators Jim Ananich (D-Flint), Steve Bieda (D-Warren), Darwin
Booher (R-Evart), Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba), Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan), Vincent
Gregory (D-Southfield), Goeff Hansen (R-Hart), Morris Hood (D-Detroit), Tupac
Hunter (D-Detroit), Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park), Roger Kahn (D-Saginaw
Township), Mike Kowall (R-White Lake Township), Jim Marleau (R-Lake Orion),
Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive), Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek), John Pappageorge
(R-Troy), Randy Richardville (R-Monroe), Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton), Virgil
Smith (D-Detroit), Howard Walker (R-Traverse City), Rebekah Warren (D-Ann
Arbor), Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing), and Coleman Young (D-Detroit).
“No”
votes include: Senators Glenn Anderson (D-Westland), Jack Brandenburg
(R-Harrison Township), Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale), Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton),
Mike Green (R-Mayville), Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell), Hoon-Yung Hopgood
(R-Taylor), Joe Hune (R-Whitmore Lake), Mark Jansen (R-Gaines Township), Rick
Jones (R-Grand Ledge), Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair Township), John Proos (R-St.
Joseph), Dave Robertson (R-Grand Blanc), and Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights).
The
measure was given immediate effect and returned to the House.
While
speculation exists as to what provisions or “deals” were made to move votes, it
is widely understood that the increase in Democratic support (from 8 “yes”
votes to 10) was related to a $200 million commitment to restoring the
Homestead Property Tax credit and an understanding from the Administration and
the Senate Republican leadership that some highly divisive and partisan issues
(such as changes to the electoral college or prevailing wage) would not be
pursued during lame duck.