States have taken a pass on enacting transportation tax increases so far this year as lawmakers wait for a potential gusher of federal infrastructure money. By DavidALieb.
— Congress is working on a long-term renewal of the nation’s main highway program that could direct billions more annually to states.
Colorado’s gas tax has remained unchanged since 1991 while per capita spending on transportation has fallen by almost half. The new funding plan has yet to receive a legislative hearing, though Democratic lawmakers could still speed it through if they desire. North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner said the lucrative oil fund makes a gas tax increase unnecessary. He said the state’s road and bridge spending could be supplemented with federal COVID-19 relief money and, if passed, a federal infrastructure bill.Louisiana state Rep. Jack McFarland, who spent months traveling the state to pitch a gradual 22-cent gas tax increase, decided toin the face of opposition from fellow Republicans.
The Democrat-controlled Minnesota House passed a transportation funding measure that would raise the vehicle sales tax and link the gas tax rate to inflation. But the Republican-led Senate scrapped all tax hikes while passing its own transportation bill. Fuel tax increases also have been proposed this year in Alaska and Missouri, which have the nation’s lowest gas taxes. A bill to double Alaska’s 8-cent-per-gallon gas tax advanced from a House committee in March but has not gone further.
A proposal to phase in a 12.5-cent-a-gallon gas tax hike passed the Missouri Senate with bipartisan support and is pending in the House, where the top Republican has expressed resistance. The state’s 17-cent-a-gallon rate hasn’t changed since 1996.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
States Launch Attacks on Voting Rights: How Can We Protect Our Democracy?In states like Georgia, Arizona and Michigan, Republican-controlled legislatures are launching attacks on voting rights, establishing barriers to access under the guise of 'election security.' But just one bill in the U.S. Congress could protect citizens in all 50 states: H.R. 1/S. 1, known as the For the People Act.“The Republicans have a very slim majority. ... And yet here we find ourselves, where they are still governing from the most extremist policies. They’re working very hard to make sure that turnout never happens again.”
Read more »
Biden Promotes Equality Act As Anti-Trans Youth Bills Advance In Several StatesLawmakers in Florida and West Virginia advanced anti-transgender legislation during the president's hour-long speech to Congress on Wednesday night.
Read more »
Pacific Northwest faces COVID-19 surge as other states reopenWashington state, the first to be hit when the pandemic began, is seeing another surge in coronavirus cases, with hospitalizations up 15%. In neighboring Oregon, hospitalizations rose 18%.
Read more »
Explainer: How police body-worn cameras are used in the United StatesBody-worn cameras are increasingly being used by U.S. law enforcement agencies and often play a central role in high-profile police killings. But wide disparities remain in how they are employed and when the footage is made public.
Read more »