Transportation Funding Legislation

The Senate introduced several Transportation Funding bills. The Michigan House is still working on its version of the bills they will introduce.   Below is a summary of the current legislation.

SJR J sponsored by Majority Leader Sen. Randy Richardville would put a 2-penny sales tax hike earmarked for the roads on the statewide ballot. The amendment has to garner two-thirds support in both the House and Senate to go to voters. That’s the alternative plan to registration fee and gas tax increases.

SB 0084, sponsored by Sen. Tom CASPERSON (R-Escanaba), would dedicate seven-tenths a percent of the additional 2-percent use tax laid out in  SJR J for the state’s recreation improvement account.

SB 0085 sponsored by Sen. John PAPPAGEORGE (R-Troy) stipulates that the gas tax is repealed effective Oct. 1, but only if  SJR J becomes part of the state constitution.

SB 0086, sponsored by Pappageorge, which wouldn’t increase fees for vehicles 8,000 pounds or less, like agricultural equipment and tow trucks.

SB 0088 sponsored by Sen. Roger KAHN (R-Saginaw), who chaired last session’s ad hoc committee on transportation funding, would increase registration fees between $24 to $118 annually for cars valued $30,000 or below. So the total fee range would be $54 to $266. Vehicles valued more than $30,000 would start at $266 for an annual registration fee. They would pay an addition $9 for each $1,000 increment, a $5 increase per increment.

SB 0087, sponsored by Kahn, would change the gas tax to a wholesale percentage tax and allow for an increase, which Snyder also proposed back in his 2011 special message.