Republican and Democratic leaders in the Michigan legislature have put affordability front and center as the midterms near, offering distinct visions on kitchen table issues that will be at the top of voters minds.

House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp. has proposed a sweeping tax cut and rolling back costly green energy mandates, while Democrats recently unveiled a “Ratepayer Bill of Rights” to lower utility costs.

The Republican proposal to cut taxes has gained significant traction, passing the House in May and getting the nod of approval from Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Twp.

“The state budget has grown by $30 billion over the past eight years while Michigan ranks among the bottom states in the nation in per capita income and families earn $9,000 less than their peers across the country. Enough is enough,” said Nesbitt.

Hall’s bill package would eliminate the 6-mill tax, the 0.75% real estate transfer tax, and the pop-up tax, and would be funded by cutting wasteful government spending.

In addition to cutting property Taxes, Hall has proposed a measure that would cut utility rates by $1 billion a year statewide.

Hall’s plan would involve rolling back costly green energy mandates for utility companies that he says are responsible for a billion dollars in rate increases.

“They’re trying to cover it up. And you think they would know what these are. They’re the ones that approve all these rate increases, over and over and over, this Gov. Whitmer board,” Hall said. “So we looked at it. Since 2023, they’ve raised the rates by a billion dollars.”

The Speaker’s proposal would align with recommendations to pass regulatory reform at the federal level, as the Heritage Foundation estimates that federal regulations cost consumers $2 trillion a year.

Democrats have countered Republicans’ proposal with a “Ratepayers Bill of Rights’, which would cap returns on equity utility company shareholders are allowed to collect and prevent utility companies from passing costs to consumers for lobbying and executive compensation.

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