By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-997179.mp3
LANSING, MI –
In October of 2012, the annual fees assessed on some drivers caught without a license or insurance will be history. Governor Rick Snyder signed a law Wednesday that critics of the fees hope will be a first step toward eliminating the unpopular driver responsibility fees altogether. More from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta.
Critics say the fees are unjust because they are tacked onto the fines a driver already pays for those infractions, and because they were enacted years ago largely as a way to plug some budget holes. The state will forego somewhere between $8-13 million by eliminating the fees for driving without a license or insurance. Critics say the added cost of the fees - $150 or $200 -- also encouraged some people to continue driving without a license or insurance.
There is a movement in the Legislature to eliminate driver responsibility fees of $500 and $1,000 for more serious offenses like drunk driving. But there is no plan yet on how to replace that revenue.