A bill that would have helped pay for highway improvements with higher diesel taxes and truck registration fees has died in the Washington Legislature.
The seven-month battle to pass the largest transportation fix in state history died last week as the state Legislature finished a near-record-long session, according to published reports.
The statewide package would have paid for about $9 billion in improvements over the next 10 years, including work on Interstates 5 and 405 in the Seattle area.
The plan would have raised gas and diesel taxes by 9 cents a gallon over the next two to three years, and that was where the bill ran into trouble. Republicans said Democrats reneged on a promise to put the tax increase to a statewide vote. Democrats, including Gov. Gary Locke, accused Republicans of not negotiating in good faith. Locke even accused Republicans of "screwing the state" in an interview with a Seattle radio station.
The bill also called for raising truck registration fees by 20 to 25 percent and for a sales tax on new and used vehicles.
Constituents and lobbyists, including lobbyists for the trucking industry, bombarded legislators with messages arguing against tax increases.
The seven-month battle to pass the largest transportation fix in state history died last week as the state Legislature finished a near-record-long session, according to published reports.
The statewide package would have paid for about $9 billion in improvements over the next 10 years, including work on Interstates 5 and 405 in the Seattle area.
The plan would have raised gas and diesel taxes by 9 cents a gallon over the next two to three years, and that was where the bill ran into trouble. Republicans said Democrats reneged on a promise to put the tax increase to a statewide vote. Democrats, including Gov. Gary Locke, accused Republicans of not negotiating in good faith. Locke even accused Republicans of "screwing the state" in an interview with a Seattle radio station.
The bill also called for raising truck registration fees by 20 to 25 percent and for a sales tax on new and used vehicles.
Constituents and lobbyists, including lobbyists for the trucking industry, bombarded legislators with messages arguing against tax increases.
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