Hand over the keys and find your own ride.

A new bill would put the brakes on taxpayer-funded vehicles, ordering political appointees and state employees from 19 departments to use their own wheels to get to work.

Rep. Fran Amos, R-Waterford, introduced the bill last week as part of an effort to resolve the state's budget deficit.

"There was a time when Michigan could afford a Cadillac government," Amos said.

"We are in a time now where we can only afford a Chevy government."

The state spends about $500,000 on vehicles, gas and maintenance fees for state workers, said Gabe Basso, Amos' legislative director. While that is a fraction of the state budget, he said the bill would send a "strong message" that legislators are serious about reform.

State employees driving taxpayer-funded vehicles is not unusual, Basso said, but the number of cars provided to state employees in Michigan is unusually high compared to other states in the Midwest.

Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, said the bill makes a statement, but he isn't sure how effective it would be.

"It's not a bad idea, but if the goal is to save money, I don't know that this bill will do it," he said.

It may be even cheaper to use state vehicles, he said, unless the bill is amended to take gas and maintenance fees off the state's tab. The bill does not contain wording that bans reimbursement to state workers for these expenses.

"There's an old saying that there's no free lunches for politicians," said Scott Hendrickson, president of MSU College Democrats.

"Apparently, there are free rides to lunch."

Cutting benefits like cars for state officials would be a good thing, Hendrickson said. The last thing Michigan needs during a budget crisis is to provide luxuries for politicians, he said.

Some of the state's departments have already turned in their vehicles. Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Mary Dettloff said DNR director Rebecca Humphries turned in her state vehicle before the bill was introduced.

Department of Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton said State Treasurer Robert Kleine has not driven a state-provided car, by his own choice, since he was appointed in April 2006.

Amos' bill was introduced about a month after Gov. Jennifer Granholm banned personal use of state vehicles for state employees. It was in the works last month when Rep. Marc Corriveau, D-Northville, introduced a similar measure that would have ended taxpayer-financed cars for state judges and their staffs.

State judges voluntarily turned in their keys about a week later. The bill would have taken away vehicles from judges and a smaller number of state employees than those affected by Amos' bill. Corriveau's bill would have saved the state more than $400,000, Basso said.

Taxpayer-funded cars have been a part of judges compensation package since the current Michigan Constitution was approved in 1963.

Department heads should be able to afford their own vehicle since their average salary is about $140,000, Basso said.

"They would surely be able to," he said.

Craig Trudell can be reached at trudell6@msu.edu.