Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday a GOP plan to fix Michigan's deteriorating roads is unacceptable because it guts education spending.

“Republicans finally offered a plan, but it is unfortunately built upon a core element the governor has long said she will not support,” Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said. The GOP plan is based upon “gutting our kids’ education to fix some roads."

Republican leaders declined to reveal specifics of the plan, which they presented to Whitmer in a Thursday morning meeting.

"The majority leader presented multiple options to the governor, none of which have a negative impact on schools," said Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake. "All major policy initiatives require cooperation and compromise from all parties involved. Sen. Shirkey is committed to delivering a road funding plan to Michiganders and remains hopeful the governor will be a partner in that plan."

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Republicans have floated a variety of proposals to raise road money, including borrowing against teacher pension funds or extending the amount of time the state pays off the unfunded liability in the Michigan Public Schools Employees Retirement System; ensuring that the 6% sales tax on gas sales is earmarked only for roads instead of going to schools and communities; or enacting a smaller gas tax increase than the 45 cents per gallon Whitmer has suggested.

But neither Shirkey nor Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, would elaborate on the details of their plans.

After the meeting Thursday, Chatfield said, “Conversations are ongoing and real progress has been made. So I'm optimistic that we will have this problem tackled. We continue to present different ideas and alternatives to what we think will fix the roads and spend the taxpayer dollars responsibly.”

He stood firm on his one goal of making sure the sales tax on gas goes to the roads.

“I'm going to stay at the table and have an ongoing honest conversation with this governor to ensure our roads get fixed,” he said. “I do believe, as I've said from day one, that all the money that's paid at the pump in taxes needs to go toward the roads and I think that people in the state of Michigan agree with that.”

Whitmer’s proposal to increase the gas tax would raise up to $2.5 billion a year to fix Michigan roads. But that proposal has gotten no support from Republicans, who hold a majority in the state House of Representatives and Senate.

“Their core element cuts education spending by $400 per pupil statewide, which neither fixes the damn roads nor serves our kids,” Brown said. “She’s open to working with anyone else who is willing to work on a real plan that provides real solutions to fix the roads.”

In addition to the discussions over road improvements, Whitmer has been urging the Legislature to return from its summer break, which began June 21. The state Senate returned to the Capitol on Tuesday for the first time this summer, but didn’t take any votes. The Legislature must approve the state’s $60 billion budget before the fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

Contact Kathleen Gray: kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.