State Representative John Bizon says it may be time for lawmakers to "think outside the box" to generate more money for roads.
The Battle Creek Republican was interviewed by WMUK's Gordon Evans and Battle Creek Enquirer reporter Jennifer Bowman. Despite the overwhelming rejection of Proposal 1 on May 5th, Bizon says he believes voters are willing to pay more for roads.
One idea is toll lanes. Bizon says you can't convert a federally funded road to a toll road, but he says if additional lanes are needed they could be toll lanes. Bizon says those lanes could allow drivers to pay more to travel faster on a less congested road. He says the state should also examine how the roads are built to see if they can last longer.
Although Bizon says he has concerns about possibly legalizing marijuana, he says the idea of making pot legal and levying taxes on it to raise revenue may be on the table. But Bizon, who is also a physician says he is worried about the health effects of marijuana. He says legalizing pot would be a decision about "what kind of state we want to be." Bizon says if it's going to happen it should be through a statewide vote.
In the extended version of the interview, Bizon explains his vote against legislation that would have put limits on the laws that local governments can pass to regulate wages and benefits. He also weighs in on the possible repeal of the state's prevailing wage law, and reform of the state's no-fault insurance system. Bizon also discusses breaking with his party on some issues.
