The Michigan House has approved a $3.1 billion road funding plan drafted by Republicans and supported by a handful of Democrats.

Among the Democrats to vote for the package Wednesday was state Representative Joey Andrews, who tells us it may have come from the opposing party, but he sees value in it.

“This plan was going to bring a lot of money back for local roads in our district in particular,” Andrews said. “I think we estimated between Berrien, Van Buren, and Allegan counties and the cities and villages and districts that would get the funds from this, it was something like $65 million in extra funding for local roads.”

Andrews says he couldn’t in good conscience vote against a package that would mean that much for the district he serves. The GOP plan envisions cutting $3.1 billion elsewhere in the budget to pay for the extra road work, but Andrews tells us it’s not a done deal.

“This plan, as is, would require $3 billion in cuts. I don’t think that’s where we’re going to land. That’s that’s not a plan that’s going to pass the Senate. That’s not a plan the governor’s going to sign, but the governor even said in her State of the State speech that we’re going to have to make some cuts to pay for roads. I think we all know that.”

Andrews says the Senate will get to work negotiating something that also includes new revenue, and in the end, something with more balance will result. However, he tells us some of the budget readjustments Republicans have been talking about also make sense to him.

Among other things, the package would eliminate a 6% sales tax on gasoline and instead increase the motor fuel tax by 20 cents. All of that would go to roads. However, most of the $3.1 billion the plan seeks to raise would come from the Corporate Income Tax.

Andrews was one of five House Democrats to vote for all of the bills in the package. He says he believes this is a genuine attempt by Republicans to close the road funding gap, and not just a political bill.