Michigan Chamber of Commerce Issues Response To Governor Whitmer’s Budget Proposal To Fix The Roads

“Doing nothing to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads is not an option”

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement on behalf of Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley in response to Governor Whitmer’s budget proposal to fix Michigan’s roads. The Governor’s budget proposal for 2020 was submitted to members of the State House and Michigan Senate earlier today.

“Doing nothing to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads is not an option and piling more borrowing on top of the current debt burden for roads is a bad idea. We encourage the Governor and legislative leaders to work together on a legislative solution to fix the roads.

“Michigan now has the worst roads in the country. To prevent further decline, state government must invest substantially more per year to repair or replace roads and bridges. The Governor and legislative leaders now have three policy choices: A) reallocate current spending; B) raise revenue; or C) do both.

“Earlier today, the Governor outlined a comprehensive plan to fix the roads that relies on user fees to solve the problem. We commend the Executive Office for taking this important next step.

“The Michigan Chamber agrees with the principle that those who use the roads should pay for the roads and we are prepared to support a meaningful increase in user fees phased in over time.

“We urge lawmakers to recognize that state government must take bold action to fix the roads and we look forward to working with them to solve this problem.”

The Michigan Chamber is a statewide business organization representing approximately 6,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce who employ over one million Michigan residents.

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