Michigan Republicans Vote To Help Michiganders, Democrats Vote Not To
Just as a large majority of their colleagues in the House all but two Michigan Senate Democrats voted against giving relief to Michiganders when it comes to the cost of gasoline. Yesterday the Michigan Senate passed House Bill HB 5570. That bill, if signed by Governor Whitmer, will suspend Michigan’s 27.2 cents per gallon gas tax for 6 months.
The bill passed 24-14 with two Democrats voting with all of the Republicans to approve the bill and 14 Democrats voting against it. The two Democrats were state Senators Dayna Polehanki, of Livonia, and Sean McCann, of Kalamazoo.
The bill, HB 5570, would suspend the gas tax beginning April 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022. That suspension would apply to gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels. An analyst from the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency testified to the Senators that they believed if passed Michigan would lose approximately $750 million in tax revenue and save the average Michigan driver $75.
Only save the average Michigan driver $75 dollars? To save the average Michigan driver only $75 dollars is assuming the average Michigan driver only consumes 11 ½ gallons a week. If you assume the average Michigan driver consumes 20 gallons a week the savings would be $130.56. If you take 20 gallons times 27.2 cents per gallon you get $5.44 a week times 24 weeks you get $130.56 in savings.
I would also like to point out that all other media sources state that it would “cost the state” $750 million in tax revenue. If you do not pay for something, how does it cost you anything? Also, the state makes no money in which to pay for something, they take it from one person to pay another thus costing the state not a dime.
To make matters worse the bill failed to get enough support from the Democrats to give the law immediate effect if Whiter were to sign it. That means the bill could not become law until January of next year. Any bill to take immediate effect must have two-thirds of the votes in the House and Senate. This bill would have needed just 2 more Democrats to come forward to help the people of Michigan anyway they can and give the bill immediate effect. That is if Governor Whitmer wanted to also help the people of Michigan and sign the bill.
After the bill passed, Whitmer press secretary Bobby Leddy stated:
Gov. Whitmer is ready to take action to immediately lower costs and put more money back in people's pockets. Unfortunately, the bill that passed the Legislature wouldn't even reduce the price of gas until next year at the earliest
Sure Bobby, you say she is ready to “take action to immediately lower cost”. This bill lowers costs within a few weeks and she does not support it, help all of us understand your logic, please.
I also chuckled when Bobby said, “Unfortunately, the bill that passed the Legislature wouldn't even reduce the price of gas until next year at the earliest”. Bobby the reason the bill would not reduce the price of gas until next year is that your and Governor Whitmer’s Party would not vote to give Michiganders relief immediately.
As I always tell my listeners, never listen to what a politician says and believe them, always look at how they vote.
In this case it was all the Republicans and two Democrat Senators who voted to give Michiganders relief at the pump and 14 Democrats who voted to not give Michiganders relief at the pump.
You tell me who cares about people and their struggles in life and who does not. Always follow the vote.