Michigan business leaders back tax hike to fix roads

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The leaders of Michigan’s top companies are calling for a tax increase to improve the condition of the roads.

Business Leaders for Michigan, a group of CEOs and university presidents, released a report Monday emphasizing the need for a big influx of road funding a day before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposes her first budget.

The business group stopped short of backing a specific plan other than to say it is open to increased user fees. BLM President and CEO Doug Rothwell says it could be a gas tax hike.

He says the roads are an “embarrassment” and they will only get worse and become more expensive to fix unless lawmakers act. Whitmer is expected to propose a multibillion-dollar boost in road funding to the Republican-led Legislature.

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Report: http://bit.ly/2XA0zDG