“We’ve kicked the can down the road for too long, and we’re all paying a price for it," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Fixing Michigan's roads remains top of mind for Whitmer.
In a one-on-one interview, she told 7 News Detroit the $3.1 billion road plan that passed through the Michigan State House on Wednesday doesn't solve the problem and creates holes in the budget.
FULL INTERVIEW: Governor Whitmer speaks on road funding and the Republican plan
But she says she’s hopeful lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can come together to find a solution.
"I'm glad that the speaker is finally solving the roads or at least having another long-term solution that has eluded us for decades,” she says.
If the plan were to pass, it would mean the sales tax you pay at the pump would go strictly to road funding.
Drivers we spoke to say they’re ready for that to happen.
"The roads are absolutely deplorable, and it’s been so long since we’ve seen them fixed," a Southfield resident said.
“That’s what we’re focusing on, is the driveways to the highways. So our residents that are driving on these roads, in Lansing, that’s a local road," said Rep. Ronnie Steele, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Local Transportation.
The gas tax money that funds schools would go away, and money for schools would then come from the general fund, something the governor worries would create problems for the budget.
But Steele says it won't, and she's confident about the plan.
"Of course, I'm excited. We think it’s a great plan. To be able to improve the roads without raising taxes," said Steele.
Whitmer says she’ll be working closely with the state Senate to try and come up with a plan that achieves everyone's goals.
“It’s not going to be all in cuts, and it’s not going to be all in new revenue, but all of these pieces are important to the final outcome that is going to be fixing the actual problem that we’re trying to solve," said Whitmer.
