Sen. Huizenga offers amendment to invest $800M into fixing local roads

Sen. Huizenga offers amendment to invest $800M into fixing local roads

LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Mark Huizenga on Tuesday sponsored an amendment to House Bill 4016 to invest $800 million into improving local roads and bridges.

“Our budget surplus is a once-in-a-generation opportunity — an opportunity to provide real tax relief, invest in infrastructure, support our schools, and improve our entire state in so many ways,” said Huizenga, R-Walker. “My amendment would have used our surplus more wisely. Instead of a massive giveaway of historic proportions to one industry — that has already seen enormous financial support this year — my amendment would have invested these funds directly into our local roads and our local communities.”

HB 4016 would allocate more than $1.3 billion in supplemental spending, earmarking $630 million for site development at Ford Motor Co.’s newly announced battery plant near Marshall and $170 million to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund, which is intended to further support the plant.

Huizenga’s amendment to the bill would have redirected the $800 million in corporate support to local roads, specifically providing $513.6 million to county road commissions and $286.4 million to cities and villages. The funds could only be used for the repair, reconstruction, preservation, or lane expansion of existing roads and bridges.

The amendment was defeated with no Democratic support.

HB 4016 now returns to the House for further consideration.

###

Skip to content