Michigan To Pilot Pay-Per-Mile Road Fee

Michigan plans to pilot a pay-per-mile road charge, testing a system that would charge drivers by the mile instead of through the gas tax, with a trial targeted for 2027.

The idea answers a growing road-funding challenge: as electric and fuel-efficient vehicles burn less or no gas, they generate less fuel-tax revenue even as they continue using the roads.

State transportation officials stress that the pilot will be voluntary, and that switching Michigan’s funding formula from the gas tax to a mileage charge would require the Legislature to act.

Supporters say a per-mile fee would make drivers pay a fairer share based on how much they use the roads. Critics have raised privacy concerns about how drivers’ mileage would be tracked and reported.

Big Ten Stands By Michigan Win

The Big Ten stood by No. 16 Michigan’s disputed 13-12 win over Western Michigan, while the Mid-American Conference received the Big Ten’s explanation for the second that was put back on the clock.

Bryce Underwood’s first Hail Mary sailed out of the end zone as the clock appeared to hit zero, but officials restored one second, and his next throw found JJ Buchanan for the winning touchdown.

Western Michigan pushed back, with its administration seeking a review, but the Big Ten stood by the ruling, saying replay showed Western Michigan’s Micah Davis touched the ball while established out of bounds with one second remaining.

Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham, whose debut nearly ended in an upset, put the blame on himself, saying, “This isn’t on Bryce Underwood. It’s on me.” The Wolverines moved on at 1-0.

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➤ Statewide: A vendor printing error sent more than 8,200 Michiganders enhanced driver’s licenses and state IDs bearing a stock photo and incorrect date of birth. The state has already mailed corrected cards, and affected residents don’t need to take any action. (More)

➤ Statewide: Roughly 38% of Michigan third-graders scored proficient in reading on the spring M-STEP, the lowest level in a decade. State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said the state needs to improve student achievement. (More)

➤ Grand Rapids: Austin Hapner, 20, a daycare worker, was arrested on nine charges after investigators said he sexually abused more than 20 children at two facilities, including a Grand Valley State University center that has since closed temporarily. He remains jailed in Kent County. (See Details)

➤ East Lansing: Michigan State’s football opener brought thousands of fans back to town, giving some downtown businesses a sales boost. Crunchy’s owner Michael Krueger said football-season sales can run 50% to 100% higher than during the summer. (More)

➤ Chippewa County: A new buoy in Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay is providing real-time data on wind, waves, water temperature and water quality for boaters, fishermen, and researchers. The system, about five nautical miles offshore, also monitors turbidity and chlorophyll and records video every hour. (More)

➤ Statewide: Pure Michigan, the tourism campaign known for its piano theme and Tim Allen narration, is operating on a much smaller budget after the state legislature pared funding to $9 million for fiscal year 2027, down from a $36 million peak in 2019. (Read Story)

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How do you feel about your own license photo?

1. Love it
2. It’s fine
3. Could be worse
4. Please don’t look

Yesterday’s Results:

How are you spending Labor Day tomorrow?

1. Relaxing at home: 46%
2. Storm cleanup: 23%
3. Backyard cookout: 12%
4. Heading to the lake: 10%
5. Working: 9%

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ A famous TV crime-show host in Egypt has been sentenced to death by hanging. Prosecutors say her off-camera business was a criminal enterprise. (Hear Charges)

➤ Federal agents demanded a list of everyone near Minneapolis who bought one specific green beanie in the last two years. (Hear Why)

➤ Why do you still remember the most popular kid from high school? Psychologists say those teenage rankings quietly shape our lives for decades. (Hear More)

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The pasty, a hearty hand-held meat pie, became a beloved staple in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, carried there in the 1800s by the immigrant miners who dug its copper and iron. From which corner of Britain did those miners, and their pasty, originally come?

Show me the answer