Governor Gretchen Whitmer released her much-anticipated roads funding plan this week. House Republicans have released their own. It’s setting up the possibility that we could see a bi-partisan roads deal this year.
Recent reports say the state needs $3.9 billion dollars in new road funding. Whitmer’s plan calls for $3 billion; House Republicans’ plan is for $3.1 billion.
It was exactly 10 years ago that we followed along as then-Governor Republican Rick Snyder, searched for a roads deal. (We spent some time this week reminiscing on the stories). Eventually, a plan was passed. But, Whitmer was not as successful when she first took office in 2019 on the campaign platform of ‘fixing the damn roads.’
It’s all to say: road funding is a hard sell in Michigan. And has been for a long-time.
On today’s It’s Just Politics, we talk with Truscott Rossman CEO John Truscott, former Communications Director for Governor John Engler, about how he sold a roads plan decades ago. Plus, Bridge Michigan’s Simon Schuster joins the show to dig into Whtimer’s plan (A hint? Pot for potholes. Really).
Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter!
