State Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, on Wednesday released the following statement regarding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address. The governor touted her roads plan, which includes significant tax increases while calling on Legislative leaders to continue work on the issue.

“It sounds like the governor only has concepts of a plan if she’s just now starting to ‘think Michigan.’ To her credit, the governor did recently announce her roads plan, but she’s yet to explain why it took her six years to ‘think’ of and why she wants to raise taxes to get it done. We don’t need new fees on tow truck operators and kids working themselves through college with a delivery job – we don’t have to raise taxes at all. The only thought put into the governor’s plan was spent figuring out how to squeeze every penny out of our hardworking public.

“It’s clear what’s been on the governor’s mind in the meantime. She’s thinking about Chinese businesses, green energy activists, and her future presidential campaign. She should’ve been thinking Michigan for the past six years – maybe our roads would be in a lot better shape if she had. Luckily, House Republicans have a robust plan that does not raise taxes, and it does not require another second of thought.”

The House Republican roads plan designates $3.1 billion in annual revenue for roads without raising taxes. A major focus of the proposal is redirecting funding away from corporate welfare programs and into critical infrastructure projects. The plan also ensures that all taxes paid at the pump are put directly into road funding, a change that would result in $945 million more each year for local roads.

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