A still-developing plan to raise more than $1 billion a year for road maintenance could give Michigan voters a direct say in the issue.
Bills introduced Wednesday in the state Senate include a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the 6 percent sales tax to 8 percent and devote the extra revenue to transportation funding.
The state's 19-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax would go away in return.
If voters didn't like that approach, a mix of increased gas tax and vehicle registration fees would go into effect if there's support in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The bills call for registration fees to rise by about 80 percent. Gas and diesel taxes would be roughly doubled.
Governor Rick Snyder says it's better to act now to fix ailing roads than to pay more later.