Michigan Republicans Challenge Democrats On Business Surcharge Tax

LANSING, MI-- A group of Republican lawmakers challenged House Democrats on Wednesday to break from their month of campaigning, return to the Capitol and pass a Senate bill to accelerate elimination of a 22 percent surcharge on Michigan's main business tax.

Legislation passed last week by the Senate's Republican majority would eliminate the Michigan Business Tax surcharge in a three-year period beginning Jan.1, instead of doing away with it over a decade as scheduled.

The Senate bill was approved over objections of Senate Democrats, who said faster removal of the surcharge would eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue and blow a huge hole in the state budget........