St. Clair Today

As Michigan legislators and the governor were busy hammering out a budget deal, state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Township) predicted there wouldn’t be a government shutdown – at least not one caused by the legislature.

“It ain’t gonna happen, here’s why,” Lucido said in a video posted on his Facebook page. “There will be a balanced budget that’s passed from the House and Senate and given to our governor. If a shutdown comes, it will be from our governor vetoing our budget.”

Negotiations are ongoing as the clock ticks against a constitutionally mandated Tuesday, Oct. 1 deadline. At stake is the road budget, a category Whitmer planned to shore up with a 45-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax.

Michigan Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Township) | Lucido's website

In Michigan, fuel taxes are governed by Public Act 51, a 1950s-era law that created a road fund from fuel taxes. In an interview with St. Clair Today, Lucido claimed that law diverts funds from the high-traffic areas in southeast Michigan, the ones he represents.

In terms of how fuel tax revenue is distributed, the governor’s hands are tied by Public Act 51. Lucido explained in his Facebook video the solution is to “redistribute and re-apportion” existing funds from other areas of the budget.

“When I met with the governor, she said to me, ‘What can I do? I can’t change 51,'” Lucido told the St. Clair Times. “I said, ‘You’re right, but any new money you should start putting into southeast Michigan, because that’s where your voters are and if you want a second term. That’s where you need to fix the damn roads.'”

Road funding has long been an issue in Michigan, hence the establishment of Public Act 51 more than half a century ago, and more recently, an additional vehicle registration fee passed in 2015. Michigan roads require significant upkeep not only because seasonal climate shifts take a toll, but also due to heavy truck traffic. Michigan's 164,000-pound weight limit is the nation’s highest.

Lucido, an opponent of the registration fee hike four years ago, said the only solution would be diverting funds within the budget rather than new taxes.

“We redistribute and reapportion the funds we have and guess what, it’ll take care of some tax dollars and free them up because nobody wants to be taxed, not one person,” he said.