Rep. Opsommer "no vote explaination"
“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
While I agree that how we fund our transportation infrastructure is critically important, this is part of a package of bills that have been brought forth this evening that have been substituted and/or amended in a manner that has not been shared with the House as a whole. In some cases, it has become evident after the fact that they are being substituted in a manner so that they actually have the opposite of the initial purpose of the bill. As such, I can not vote on a bill without knowing its true content, and I wish to thank Rep. Vagnozzi for pointing out that the majority of members are being asked to vote on these bills without knowing what they accomplish.
Before we can consider raising gas taxes, registration fees, or other hardships onto Michigan’s citizens it is important that we first ensure that the equivalent of all gas tax monies be spent on road funding, and that the road funding money we generate is not being diverted for other purposes. For that reason I am in support of my bills that would create the Priority Now! Transportation fund, HB 6520, HB 6521, and HJR NNN to establish a baseline for how much transportation money we currently should be using.”