Gov. Rick Snyder

Polar Vortex

When Red States Turn Blue

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has followed the path laid by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in joining the U.S. Climate Alliance. All three are new Democratic governors replacing Republican predecessors.

February 7, 2019 - InsideClimate News

Gas Pump

New Year's Day State Gas Tax Increases, Decreases, and What Lies Ahead

Pennsylvania, the state that had the highest gas tax last year, saw the highest gas tax increase of 7.9 cents per gallon, the final increment of a 2013 law. Michigan's 7.3 cents tax increase, signed into law in 2015, is the second largest increase.

January 11, 2017 - Tax Justice Blog

Aerial photo of the US 131/M-6/68th St. interchange in Wyoming, MIchigan

Report: Michigan has $4 Billion in Annual Infrastructure Needs

A recent report out of the state of Michigan lays the groundwork for a coordinated approach to the state's infamous infrastructure challenges.

December 8, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Independent Task Force Blames State Government for Flint Water Poisoning

The Flint Water Advisory Task Force, an independent investigative group whose five members were appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, held no punches on the causes of the crisis. Two state agencies and the emergency managers were singled out.

March 28, 2016 - Planetizen

Sparks Fly at Congressional Hearing on Flint Water Crisis

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy sat side-by-side at a Congressional hearing on the lead exposure suffered by citizens of Flint.

March 18, 2016 - The Hill

First Step to Restoring Drinking Water for Flint—Coat the Existing Pipes

Gov. Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) announced on Wednesday that the state is working to ensuring safe tap water for Flint residents. While there is no schedule to replace the corroded lead pipes, they are being treated to prevent further lead leaching.

January 30, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Excessive Lead in Drinking Water Spread to Ohio

Learning from the mishaps shown by state regulatory agencies in Michigan, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency wasted no time in beginning a criminal investigation resulting from reports of concentrations of high lead levels in some Ohio homes.

January 27, 2016 - WFMJ-TV

Michigan Governor Finds Himself at Center of Flint Water Crisis

A case is made that Gov. Rick Snyder's handling of the lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan is analogous to former President George W. Bush's bungling of the crisis resulting after Hurricane Katrina touched-down on the Gulf coast in August 2005.

January 14, 2016 - MSNBC

Motorcycle No Helmet

The High Cost of 'Motorcycle Freedom'

Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in April 2012. It only took a week for Dr. Carlos Rodriguez to notice an increase in patients not wearing a motorcycle helmet in his trauma unit in Grand Rapids, so he launched a study.

January 12, 2016 - Huffpost Healthy Living

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to Sign 7.3-cent Gas Tax Hike Today

After years of debate, Republicans from both chambers agreed to a transportation plan raising the gas tax 7.3-cents and registration fees by 20 percent, effective 2017. Democrats objected to the amount of general funds that will be directed to roads.

November 10, 2015 - MLive

Why Raise Gas Taxes When Surplus General Funds are Available to Fix Roads?

In Michigan, after voters defeated a sales tax hike that would have triggered a gas tax hike, General Fund revenues are dedicated to roads. South Carolina legislators, eying a gas tax hike, may direct surplus General Fund revenues to roads instead.

May 25, 2015 - The Detroit News

Michigan's Sweeping Road Funding Amendment Loses in a Landslide

Proposition 1 would have enacted broad reforms in road funding policies and programs in Michigan. Despite Governor Rick Snyder and the State Legislature's efforts, however, voters soundly defeated the measure in a statewide election this week.

May 6, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Report: Michigan's Roads Go from 'Poor to Terrible'

Michigan—the state that spends less per capita on its roads than every other state—just got bad news about the state of its roads. Will it be enough to convince voters to pass a sales tax initiative to generate $1.2 billion in funding for roads?

April 5, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Michigan's Complex Path to Increasing Gas Tax Revenue

On May 5, Michigan voters will go to the polls to decide on a one percent increase in the sales tax, with revenue dedicated to education. But approval of the measure sets off other changes, including converting the gas excise tax to a wholesale tax.

January 30, 2015 - Governing

Plunging Fuel Prices Could Bring Plunging Fuel Taxes

It was considered a given by many analysts that global oil prices would only increase as world oil demand outstripped supply, so switching to percentage-based fuel taxes from per-gallon taxes made sense, until OPEC chose not to restrict their output.

January 19, 2015 - The Courier-Journal

Low Gas Prices

Three States Hope to Take Advantage of Low Gas Prices to Boost Gas Taxes

A movement at the state and federal levels would take advantage of low oil prices to boost gas taxes to pay for infrastructure. Michigan, Iowa, and Utah proposals, and a change to the federal Corker-Murphy plan, are described below.

January 12, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton Proposes Gas Tax

The tax would be a wholesale tax paid by fuel suppliers as has become more common in the last two years, not a retail tax at the gas pump. The Democratic governor's main problem may be his timing—the house flipped to Republican control.

January 2, 2015 - Pioneer Press

Michigan Voters to Decide on Transportation Sales Tax

The Michigan legislature compromised on a plan to raise money for state transportation funding. Instead of increasing the fuel tax, voters will consider an increased sales tax that exempts the fuel tax.

December 22, 2014 - MLive

Republican Governors, Encouraged by Low Gas Prices, to Raise Gas Taxes

While there may never be a good time to increase the federal gas tax, the same is not true when it comes to state gas taxes—perhaps because governors can't transfer billions of dollars from general funds to pay for roads. Lower gas prices helps.

December 12, 2014 - NPR

Michigan May Drop Fuel Excise Tax for Wholesale Sales Tax

The Republican-controlled Michigan State Senate voted November 13 to increase the state's 19-cents per gallon fuel tax by converting it to a wholesale fuel sales tax, resulting in an anticipated $1.2 billion annual revenue increase.

November 18, 2014 - The Detroit News

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