Michiganians sent a clear message in the November election. They want a state government that prioritizes their needs above divisive ideologies and outside interests.
That House Republicans were able to unseat four incumbent Democrat members after being massively outspent tells us the ramrodding of a radical left-wing agenda led by the governor over the past two years has been fully rejected by the people of Michigan.
Yet despite concerns from Michigan residents over the higher costs of living — feeding their families, heating their homes and our deteriorating border security — fentanyl and criminals flooding into our streets — it appears Democrats still aren’t getting the message.
Instead, a combined 295 House and Senate bills were introduced last month — the highest number of bill introductions during the November of a General Election since the Legislature began regularly extending its session calendar in the late 1960s.
These bills include proposals for new taxes on garbage, milk and water — even an amusement tax to raise the price of fun in Michigan — along with efforts to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and grant early release to violent criminals.
They seem to be doubling down on extremist bills to push forward radical anti-gun, anti-free speech, anti-free market, and pro-criminal legislation, rather than listening to the concerns of Michigan families.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Instead of using the final lame duck session days of December as a last-gasp effort of a socialist left-wing agenda to pay back political backers and impose more woke social programming on the people of Michigan, Democrats have a real chance to start working with Republicans and support struggling families, seniors and small businesses across our state.
We can start by getting serious about fixing our roads.
The governor ran her first campaign on a tagline promise to fix roads. Instead, she has compounded our debts, taking out unilateral bonds. In her six years in office, the governor has failed to offer up any real solution other than a universally rejected 45-cent gas tax increase.
House Republicans have introduced a financially responsible plan that would invest an additional $2.7 billion into our state and local roads each year. This funding would come from repurposing and dedicating the state’s gas tax, redirecting a fragment of corporate income taxes and moving other earmarked funds, including a substantial portion from funds the governor has utilized to provide back-room taxpayer corporate handouts.
Senate Republicans have voted to move billions from the corporate welfare Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund and reallocate those dollars to roads and other statewide needs. But Senate Democrats have rejected those plans. It is time to put those taxpayer funds to better use and actually help our own state instead of padding the books of multinational companies, including those operated under the eyes of our national adversaries.
We can solve this issue without raising taxes on hardworking Michiganians or harming vital sources of school aid funding. But we can only do it if Democrats are finally ready to come to the table and work with Republicans to solve some of the toughest problems facing our state.
The governor has had six years to present a plan, and House Republicans have put one on the table. Let’s use these lame duck days to work on this serious issue and invest in the future of our state.
State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, serves as the Senate Republican Leader and represents Michigan’s 20th Senate District. This op-ed appeared in the Dec.9, 2024 edition of The Detroit News.