Governor Whitmer wants a big gas tax increase and more money for drinking water infrastructure. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan makes blight a top priority. WMU men’s basketball loses on the road.
(MPRN) Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to increase the state’s gas and diesel tax by 45 cents per gallon. That would raise the fuel tax at the pump to around 70 cents per gallon by October of 2020. Whitmer says, once fully implemented, her plan will raise $2.5-billion dollars in new, annual money for the roads. Opponents say increasing the fuel tax by that much will drive people out of the state and is too much for most Michigan residents to pay. Governor Whitmer is also making a supplemental budget request to improve drinking water infrastructure. If the request is approved, more than $100-million would be spent on things like water line replacements, research and treatment for emerging contaminants in drinking water, and research to improve water distribution systems.
(WDET) Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is pledging to take a significant bite out of the blight he says has come to define the city. Since 2014 Duggan has moved aggressively to demolish blighted and abandoned buildings in Detroit.The federally-funded effort became embroiled in investigations over allegations including that some contractors had received preferential treatment and that contaminated dirt had been used at some sites. In his state of the city address Tuesday night, Duggan said safeguards are now in place and Detroit cannot afford a go-slow approach to erasing blight.
(Michigan Radio) Two men accused of second degree murder in the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak appeared in a state courtroom for the first time Tuesday. Barry Cadden and Glenn Chin are accused of causing the deaths of people in Michigan and other states who were given tainted steroid injections. The Michigan Attorney General's office says 23 people in Michigan died. Cadden was the owner of the Massachusetts manufacturer that made the steroids, and Chin was the supervising pharmacist.
In men’s basketball, Western Michigan lost at Toledo Tuesday night 76-57. Sophomore Michael Flowers led the Broncos with 21 points. Western will conclude the regular season Friday night when they host rival Central Michigan at University Arena.
In baseball, Western Michigan won two games at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Broncos beat St. Bonaventure 8-3 and Villanova 11-2 Tuesday. Western improved to three wins and eight losses so far this season.