Rep. Opsommer offered the following concurrent resolution:

            House Concurrent Resolution No. 22.

            A concurrent resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to end the current federal gas tax highway program or to allow individual states to opt out.

            Whereas, Federal motor fuel and motor vehicle taxes are collected for transactions in each state and then deposited into the Federal Aid Highway Program of the Highway Trust Fund, where they are later redistributed back to the states for approved highway projects. Each state's federal motor fuel taxes are calculated on the basis of the gallons of gasoline and diesel fuels sold within its boundaries; and

            Whereas, Michigan has been a donor state for transportation dollars for many years, getting back less than it sends out and seeing its dollars in essence go to subsidize roads or policy projects in other states. In recent years, Michigan has received federal transportation dollars at levels between 87 and 92 percent of the share of the tax revenue that the state and its citizens generated for the Highway Trust Fund. At a 100 percent level, the state would receive an additional $100-150 million each year. This current inequitable and unfair federal highway funding practice makes it far more difficult for Michigan to maintain the quality of its highways and puts pressure on Michigan to increase its own gas tax in order to compensate; and

            Whereas, The federal government frequently uses these dollars to financially coerce states to adopt federal rules and laws only tangentially related to road construction, holding back money if Michigan does not acquiesce to pressure in instances in which the federal government would ordinarily have no standing. Additionally, only about 60 percent of the federal fuel taxes paid by motorists go to roads. There were 7,000 individual earmarks enacted in the transportation reauthorization bill in 2005, which clearly detracts from the original intent of the highway program and further jeopardizes Michigan’s roads; and

            Whereas, The interstate highway system was completed in the early 1980s, fulfilling the original goals of the federal highway program. The program should be ended and the responsibility turned back to the states either in whole or individually so they can opt out of collecting federal gas taxes.  This would allow the states to make decisions regarding their own gas taxes in full knowledge that they would actually be able to keep and use all of the dollars that are generated. Opt-out states would be free to pursue transportation objectives that are in the best interest of their citizens while still meeting certain performance standards and maintaining and enhancing segments of interstate highway in their state; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to either end the current federal highway program or allow states to opt out and maintain their own roads; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.