Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II visited Port Huron Friday, sharing the details of Democrat Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed budget to local elected officials. The Lieutenant Governor touted a proposed 45-cent a gallon gas tax increase as a better solution to fix Michigan roads, calling a 2015 solution passed by lawmakers a “shell game” that diverted money from the school aid and general funds. Gilchrist, speaking to WPHM during the event hosted by the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, underscored the need for the $2.5 billion dollar revenue increase. If passed, the Lieutenant Governor says, “We will put ourselves on a path, we think, to prosperity… good education outcomes, and have our infrastructure actually work.” Leaders in the state legislature have voiced their opposition to the tax hike, with Gilchrist saying he is looking forward to hear the Republican plan for the roads. When asked about the likelihood of the gas tax being approved, Gilchrist stated he his confident that plan put forward by the Whitmer administration can passed by lawmakers. The Lieutenant Governor added that the budget process is a long process, and that “it’s just getting started.”
