Washington state Gov. Gary Locke has resurrected a highway funding proposal that was defeated last summer, one that includes a fuel tax hike and higher trucking fees.
In a compromise hammered out last summer between the governor and key legislators, Locke would have raised gas taxes by 9 cents per gallon, added a 3-cents-per-gallon surcharge for diesel fuel, and raised truck registration fees by 20 to 25 percent. The taxes raised would pay for $8.5 billion in highway projects, including work on Interstates 5 and 405 in the Seattle area.
One of the sticking points, last summer and in the foreseeable future, is whether or not to put the issue to a public vote. Opponents say they will do their best to force a public vote if lawmakers try to pass new taxes.
Locke, however, says that with the economy in a slump, elected leaders must take quick and decisive action, rather than wait for a public vote that won't happen for almost a year. The Democratic governor is hopeful that a state house that now has a slight Democratic majority will help the measure through. Last summer, it died in what was then an evenly divided house.
In a compromise hammered out last summer between the governor and key legislators, Locke would have raised gas taxes by 9 cents per gallon, added a 3-cents-per-gallon surcharge for diesel fuel, and raised truck registration fees by 20 to 25 percent. The taxes raised would pay for $8.5 billion in highway projects, including work on Interstates 5 and 405 in the Seattle area.
One of the sticking points, last summer and in the foreseeable future, is whether or not to put the issue to a public vote. Opponents say they will do their best to force a public vote if lawmakers try to pass new taxes.
Locke, however, says that with the economy in a slump, elected leaders must take quick and decisive action, rather than wait for a public vote that won't happen for almost a year. The Democratic governor is hopeful that a state house that now has a slight Democratic majority will help the measure through. Last summer, it died in what was then an evenly divided house.
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