In Michigan, GOP governor finds a tax to like

(AP) After he took office two years ago, Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder acted quickly to cut business taxes in an effort to boost the state's economy.

But lately he has roiled conservatives by calling for an increase in gasoline taxes and vehicle fees to fix crumbling roads.

Snyder's move shows a willingness among several Republican governors to step away from the party's anti-tax ideology to deal with strained transportation budgets.

Snyder, and the governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania, are among those who believe that gasoline taxes can be justified because they pay for improvements in infrastructure that benefit a state's economy.

But the measures are controversial. Republican lawmakers are fighting the tax proposals and insisting on using other funds to pay for road improvements.