State Transportation Funding Legislation

Oil

Democrats Balk at Gov. Newsom's Gas Tax Holiday

Saving motorists 3 cents a gallon may be a slam dunk for Republican leaders in the California legislature who opposed hiking the gas tax in the first place, but Democratic leaders are reluctant to tamper with a hard-fought legislative and ballot win.

February 22, 2022 - The Associated Press

Interstate 80

High Cost of Maintenance Prompts Wyoming Legislators to Consider Tolling I-80

Over the objections of the oil and trucking industries, an interim committee voted to allow the Wyoming legislature to determine whether to toll all lanes on Interstate 80 due to a shortfall in the state transportation budget.

August 18, 2019 - Buffalo Bulletin

Lewis and Clark

Indiana Advances Interstate Tolling Plans

The Hoosier State is on a roll, infrastructure speaking. Having passed its largest highway investment package last year based on a 10-cents per gallon gas tax hike, it initiated a study to determine the revenue potential for tolling interstates.

July 12, 2018 - The Heartland Institute

Connecticut Turnpike

Bill to Toll Connecticut Interstates and Parkways Advances

A bill backed by Gov. Malloy that directs the Department of Transporation to prepare a plan to toll three interstates and two state parkways narrowly passed two legislative committees largely along party lines. It now advances to the full House.

April 12, 2018 - The Connecticut Mirror

BART Train

Three Transportation Ballot Measures Could Be Headed to Bay Area Voters Next Year

The California Legislature approved bills to allow voters to decide on hiking sales taxes and tolls for regional transportation. Gov. Jerry Brown already signed a bill to allow San Mateo County voters to hike sales taxes for transportation.

September 19, 2017 - The Daily Journal

New York Traffic

Praise for Gov. Andrew Cuomo from New York Times on Cordon Pricing

Thanks to the governor's support, there is reason for optimism that a plan to charge motorists entering Manhattan below 60th St. and toll the East River bridges will have a better outcome than Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan did in April 2008.

August 23, 2017 - The New York Times

Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday

Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.

July 24, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Mount Hood Clackamas

Oregon's $3 Billion Transportation Funding Legislation Has a Tax for Almost Everyone

The package, which doesn't tax walking and running shoes, went to the legislature on June 30. It includes a ten cents per gallon gas tax, a 0.10 percent payroll tax, a $15 tax on new bikes costing at least $200, and a potential toll on I–205.

July 7, 2017 - KGW

Denver Region

Death of a State Transportation Sales Tax Measure

Partisan politics killed what was labeled as a bipartisan effort to increase funding for Colorado's roads by allowing voters in November to determine whether to raise the state sales tax to fund a bond measure.

May 3, 2017 - The Denver Post

Idaho Governor Stands Against Using General Fund Money for Highway Expansion

Writing that a $320 million transportation finance bill "violates my user-pay, pay-as-you-go philosophy toward transportation funding," Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter explained why he allowed the bill to become law without his signature.

April 17, 2017 - Idaho Mountain Express

Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

Massachusetts Governor Says No to Vehicle Mileage Traveled Fee Pilot

A year ago Massachussetts looked like it could be one of the next states to adopt a vehicle mileage fee program. Not likely under this governor. Baker opposes an amendment that allows the state to apply for federal grant funding to study VMT fees.

August 3, 2016 - The Republican

Governor Pete Ricketts

Governor Who Vetoed Gas Tax Increase Happy to Use New Revenue for Road Construction

Among the ten state legislatures, mostly Republican controlled, which passed gas tax increases last year, the one that stood out the most was Nebraska's because it had to override Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) veto of the six-cent gas tax hike bill.

April 21, 2016 - The Omaha World-Herald

Massachusetts Could Be Next State to Adopt a Road Usage Charge

In the wake of voter rejection of automatic indexing of the state gas tax, Massachusetts legislators may do away with the tax altogether. They are considering a trial of the Oregon model of road usage charge.

September 23, 2015 - Eagle-Tribune

Michigan House Road Funding Plan B Would Rob Peter to Pay Paul

Now that voters have decisively rejected a sales tax measure that would have also hiked the gas tax, House representatives have proposed eliminating the state's Earned Income Tax Credit that benefits the working poor to help pay for roads.

June 15, 2015 - Record-Eagle

The First Four Months of 2015 State Gas Tax Increases

Transportation for America makes it easy to keep track of the seven states that have passed legislation to raise, or stem the fall of, gas tax revenue, with an in-depth look at how the first state, Iowa, increased fuel taxes.

May 6, 2015 - T4America Blog

Another Republican-Controlled State to Increase its Gas Tax

It will be no April fools joke when motorists pay an extra six-cents per gallon at gas pumps in the Mount Rushmore State on April 1 thanks to actions of the legislature on March 13 and the likely signing of the bill by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.

March 18, 2015 - AASHTO Journal

A Bad Year for State Transportation Funding

Compared to 2013, few states are increasing transportation spending through tax increases. Only New Hampshire and Rhode Island saw limited gas tax increases, though both were accompanied by road or bridge toll eliminations. Missouri could be next.

June 27, 2014 - Governing

Transit, Biking and Walking are Big Winners in Pennsylvania Gas Tax Increase

Gas tax increases can mean more road funding, period, particularly where constitutional restrictions prohibit spending gas tax revenues on other modes, as exists in Pa.; yet all modes will benefit from the 28-cent gas tax increase legislation.

November 29, 2013 - Streetsblog

Oil and Gas Revenue May Fund Texas Roads

The nation's largest oil and natural gas producer is flush with revenue from energy production. If Gov. Rick Perry signs the bill supported by two-thirds of both chambers, voters will decide whether to use about $1.2 billion of it annually for roads.

August 12, 2013 - KUHF Houston Public Radio

Virginia Passes Controversial Transportation Bill

Over the weekend, Virginia passed a controversial transportation funding plan that replaces the state's gas tax with a combination of revenue streams. Two California economists look at the flaws with the plan.

February 25, 2013 - The Washington Post

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