Whitmer pledges to veto gas tax cut as gas prices skyrocket

Legislation passed with bipartisan support

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has written a letter stating that she plans to veto HB 5570 which would have provided a temporary hiatus on the state gas tax as Michigan families are facing huge price increases on fuel. The legislation passed by a large 24-14 majority with Democratic senators supporting the GOP-led initiative.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) said the governor needs to work on this issue. “The governor isn’t just a day late and a dollar short on this issue, she’s weeks late and millions of dollars short. Other than writing a letter to Nancy Pelosi, she’s been absent as Michiganders are struggling with record-high gas prices. Now she’s proposing a half-measure that won’t save drivers as much as the bill we’ve already passed.”

“If the governor really wants to help Michiganders, she’ll tell Senate Democrats to support immediately suspending the gas tax. Then we can talk about doing away with the sales tax on gas once and for all.”

Whitmer, who had previously proposed tripling the state gas tax in 2019, says she supports a gas tax holiday at the federal level or on Michigan’s 6% sales tax instead of a gas tax cut. “I’m ready to work across the aisle with the legislature to negotiate a bipartisan solution that cuts taxes and lowers costs for drivers, seniors, and working families. We can start by pausing the sales tax on fuel,” Whitmer said in a statement Friday.

Michigan currently has the sixth-highest gas tax in the nation with a total of $0.64 per gallon ($0.27 of which are state taxes). The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency told lawmakers this would save Michiganders approximately $770 million in taxes.