(The Center Square) – Senate Democrats have yet to move forward with either of two competing plans introduced this spring to address road infrastructure in Michigan.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a $3 billion Mi Road Ahead Plan in February to “fix the damn roads,” her 2018 gubernatorial campaign promise.
Weeks later, Michigan House Republicans introduced their own package of bills to fix the roads.
Both plans have currently stalled, with Michigan Senate Democrats failing to bring Whitmer’s plan to legislative fruition or take up the Republican proposal, which passed the state House with bipartisan support in March.
The roads in Michigan have long been the source of political contention, making prominent appearances in State of the State addresses and on the campaign trail.
Whitmer, who is term locked and will leave office in 2028, recently renewed her commitment to solving the problem.
“We need a sustainable, long-term solution for our local roads,” she said in her 2025 State of the State Address. “Every pothole is a reminder that we must act now.”
Whitmer’s plan to fix the roads included a $1 billion investment in local roads and $250 million in public transit programs throughout the state.
“The Mi Road Ahead Plan is a $3 billion long-term, sustainable funding solution that is not funded on the backs of commuters,” the plan said. “It will lower vehicle repair costs, invest in local roads and transit, and ask big corporations to pay their fair share to do business in Michigan.”
Part of that funding would come from closing a “loophole” and levying taxes on the marijuana industry, which was first legalized in Michigan in 2018. The rest of it would be raised via taxes on corporations and big tech companies, as well as shifting funding from gas taxes back to fixing the roads.
House Republicans pushed back against the need to raise taxes, sponsoring their own “historic” plan to fix the roads without raising taxes.
Instead, it uses existing revenue sources, cutting funding to certain economic development programs and corporate subsidies, to fund $3.1 billion annually. Of that, $2.5 billion annually would go just to repair local roads.
“Our residents have been asking for road improvements for a very long time,” said state Rep. Mike Mueller, R-Linden. “It’s time we deliver new and better roads to the public, without asking them to foot the bill with a tax increase. Our constituents want us to keep our promises, and I intend to do just that.”
According to the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, which was also proposed by Whitmer, Michigan has invested more than $28 billion to fix Michigan’s roads since 2019.
Over that period, the percentage of Michigan’s roads in poor condition has decreased from 42% to 37%, according to the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council.
Michigan’s highways have also seen improvements in the past few years.
The Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report recently ranked Michigan’s highways 23rd in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, climbing from 34th in 2020.
Still, both Republicans and Whitmer say more needs to be done though.
“Michiganders are still paying more than $750 a year for car repairs,” said a statement from the governor’s office. “Michigan’s local communities still need a long-term solution to continue fixing the damn roads and ensure Michiganders and companies can depend on reliable infrastructure across our state.”
Passing any road plan will require bipartisan support, as Republicans control the state House, while Democrats hold the state Senate and governor’s office.
Both Republicans and Whitmer have said they are ready and willing to work to find a compromise when the state Senate decides to take action.
“I see no reason why we can’t come to the table and find a bipartisan solution that delivers safe, reliable roads to the taxpayers who have already paid plenty into them,” said state Rep. Pat Outman, chair of the House Transportation Committee.
