The Legislature is on a summer break until mid-August. The House and the Senate both adjourned Tuesday with no quorums and no votes on road funding.
The effort to reach a road funding deal was the main reason for meeting into July. Although the House and the Senate have both adopted plans, no package has made it through both chambers and to Governor Rick Snyder’s desk.
The split among Republicans is how much of roughly $1.2 billion in new revenue should be funded through cuts in other state spending, and how much should come in the form of new fees and taxes. Republican state Representative Earl Poleski (R-Jackson) was one of a handful of lawmakers who showed up for Tuesday’s House session. Poleski says his constituents aren’t ready to accept a big tax increase.
“They want to make sure you’re spending your money in state government as efficiently as possible – and even shrinking state government if that could be done,” he says. “I’m good with that. But, at the same time, roads are very fundamental function of government.”
Lawmakers were facing a lot of pressure to come up with a new plan for road funding after Proposal One was thrashed by voters in May. But Poleski says it’s been evident the Legislature is not close to a deal, which is why almost no one showed Tuesday.
“They’re back in their district doing their thing and that’s OK,” he says. “But we’ve got to get on with it.”
Poleski says he expects it will be up to Republicans to come up with a solution since they hold substantial majorities in the House and the Senate. But others think any deal that includes substantial new revenue – like the governor wants – will require support from Democrats to get through the Legislature. But Democrats say they have yet to be invited to the discussions.
“We have an opportunity in August to re-visit this conversation,”
says state Representative Sam Singh (D-East Lansing),
“and if the governor and the Republican legislative leaders are serious, they will start scheduling meetings so we can start negotiating.”
Governor Snyder’s spokesman says a meeting is expected soon that will include the Legislature’s Republican and Democratic leaders.
“Governor Snyder has met with leaders both parties individually and it’s expected some group discussions will be scheduled in the coming weeks,”
says Dave Murray.
“…There is urgency, but this is also a problem that has been years in the making. We want to work – together—to arrive at the best long-term, sustainable solution to Michigan’s infrastructure challenges, making our roads and bridges safer now and long into the future.”
