State Rep. Timmy Beson on Wednesday stood up for families and schools in Bay City with an amendment to a School Aid Fund budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

Parents in Bay City are now subject to a new bridge toll if they live on the wrong side of the river from their child’s school. Beson’s amendment would have offered toll bridge reimbursements through the state that would be distributed to intermediate school districts in Bay and Arenac counties and then to impacted families.

“We shouldn’t force parents to pay out of pocket every time they drive their kids to school,” said Beson, who has spoken with local officials and continues to pursue solutions for the new toll. “This is also having a financial impact on the school district as well whenever public school buses go across the bridge. My amendment would help offset these new costs. Budgets for many families in our area are tight, and they are currently being nickel and dimed every time they are helping their kids learn and prepare for their futures by getting them to and from school. That’s not right.”

The amendment to the plan, housed within House Bill 5503, was not adopted by Democrats in majority before being advanced to the Senate for consideration. Beson also offered budget amendments that would have increased fraud protection for the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency after it has experienced numerous issues and provided funding for several local projects, including $100,000 for the construction of Stein Park in Monitor Township and $200,000 for cleanup on the Kawkawlin River, but these amendments were also not adopted.

Beson, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee as well as an Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Education, said the overall budget plan doesn’t go far enough to support families, prioritize local infrastructure and respect taxpayers in Bay County. Instead, the bills tie in tens of millions of dollars for the continued unchecked expansion of various social programs, devote millions to a fleet of green energy vehicles for the state, and gamble on inconsistent demand for electric vehicles by asking taxpayers to foot the bill for new pilot programs and expanded charging station availability whether they own an electric vehicle or not.

“This budget addresses the needs of a national agenda that the governor is pushing, not the needs of hardworking people and their families in our communities,” Beson said. “I want to see taxpayers get a good return on their investment, and these plans fall short.”