Thousands Rally at Capitol for $3B Road Bill

LANSING, Mich. – A sea of hard hats and safety vests filled the lawn of the Michigan State Capitol as an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 road construction workers rallied in support of a proposed $3 billion road funding plan. With only weeks left before the state’s budget deadline, workers and industry leaders warned that without legislative action, both jobs and infrastructure will suffer.

Dan Kroll, operations manager with Toebe Construction, whose crews are working on the I-696 project, made the stakes clear. When asked what happens without the $3 billion package, he replied, “The outcome is less jobs that are coming out and more employees that ultimately get laid off and are out of work and are looking for work out of state. And the roads stay in the current condition.”

The rally was organized in part by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA). Rob Coppersmith, representing MITA, said lawmakers are grappling with a long-standing problem but added the funding gap has grown more severe. “To our legislature's defense, they've inherited a problem,” Coppersmith said.

He noted that in the past, smaller funding measures, federal dollars, and the governor’s bonding program temporarily boosted resources. But now, “those funding sources are drying up, [and] it’s creating a dramatic hole in the funding levels we’ve been experiencing,” Coppersmith explained.

Lawmakers on both sides acknowledged the urgency but clashed on solutions. Democratic State Rep. Alabas Farhat of Dearborn said tough compromises may be unavoidable: “We might have to do a combination of some cuts and some new revenue to make sure schools are held harmless and these road workers, these hard workers out here have jobs they look forward to without impacting other services we rely on.”

New revenue could involve tax increases or new fees, something Republicans argue is unnecessary. State Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-St. Clair Shores, said his caucus already offered an alternative. “I’m not sure (what the holdup is), but it’s as if there won’t be any movement if the Republicans don’t agree to raising taxes,” he said.

DeBoyer added, “We would have a budget passed in the state of Michigan right now if it wasn’t for Republicans standing up saying, ‘we can do it without raising taxes.’ But the unfortunate thing is, the other side of the aisle demands a higher tax on you. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Farhat countered that political maneuvering is standing in the way of solutions. “I think the issue you have right now is there’s too much gamesmanship. The egos are inflated in this town, and unfortunately, the working class in our state suffer as a result.”

For workers, however, the rally wasn’t about politics—it was about paychecks and keeping projects moving. Kroll summed it up simply: “It’s not a partisan issue to pass a bill to keep our roads good.”

With just 11 legislative session days before the October 1 budget deadline, lawmakers face mounting pressure to deliver a long-term, sustainable road funding plan. Until then, thousands of construction workers are left waiting, watching, and hoping their jobs—and Michigan’s roads—don’t get left behind.

Originally reported by Darren Cunningham in WXYZ Detroit.