Michigan House Democrats are proposing to raise the state’s gas tax.
State Rep. Alabas Farhat, a Democrat from Dearborn, has introduced House Bill 6258, which calls for an increase of 19 cents per gallon on gasoline and diesel fuel. Democrats could push this measure through during their lame-duck session.
Currently, MLive reported, Michigan drivers pay a total of 69.4 cents per gallon in taxes. This includes 30 cents for the state gas tax, 18.4 cents for the federal gas tax, and 21 cents for the state sales tax.
The state gas tax is set to rise to 31 cents per gallon next year.
Last month, Michigan House Speaker-elect Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, unveiled a $2.7 billion plan to fix the state’s roads. Hall’s proposal aims to invest nearly $3 billion annually into infrastructure, including long-neglected local roads, by reallocating existing tax revenue and utilizing expiring corporate incentives.
“Everyone says they want to fix the roads when the cameras are on, but nobody has taken any real steps to do it these past two years,” Hall stated in a press release at the time. “The people are sick and tired of inaction and empty words.”