Rep. Matt Hall (left) and Richard Lindsey, executive director of Legal and Community Affairs at Oaklawn Hospital, at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s first annual State of the State address in February 2019. | Michigan House Republicans
Rep. Matt Hall (left) and Richard Lindsey, executive director of Legal and Community Affairs at Oaklawn Hospital, at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s first annual State of the State address in February 2019. | Michigan House Republicans
State Rep. Matt Hall, R-Marshall, is not a fan of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan for the state to borrow billions more to invest in roads infrastructure.
Roughly a year after her plan of enacting a massive gas tax increase as a way of funding the project was shot down, Whitmer used her State of State address this year to unveil her plan of borrowing $3.5 billion for the project.
In securing the funds, Whitmer added she plans to go through the State Transportation Commission, which would mean not needing the approval of the legislature or endorsement of state taxpayers.
“Rather than Whitmer’s philosophy of tax and spend, we should be using the money we already have to fix the roads,” Hall said on the Michigan House Republicans website. “...It is not a matter of whether Michigan has the funds; it is a matter of spending it more efficiently.
"Michigan is still paying down a billion-dollar deficit from funds borrowed nearly two decades ago, and will not finish paying it off until 2037,” he said.
Hall is also calling attention to a recent Children Protective Services (CPS) audit that “found multiple shortcomings within the agency’s operations.”
As chair of the House Oversight Committee, Hall has now filed a bill “to ensure the agency responsible for protecting children across the state has the right tools to do so,” he said in the release.
House Bill 4705 mandates that CPS launch investigations within 24 hours in instances of suspected child abuse or neglect.
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