By M.D. Kittle/Maclver Institute
MADISON, Wis. — A gas tax hike now appears to be dead on arrival.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos apparently put the final nail in the gasoline tax increase earlier this week, telling a group of conservatives an increase to the state’s gas tax to fund Wisconsin’s transportation projects is off the table.
The Rochester Republican , speaking at a campaign event Tuesday evening for his Assembly colleague, Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), said he would prefer the revenue increase because, as a conservative, he believes the government should pay for its priorities without raising debt levels, sources with knowledge of the event told MacIver News Service.
A spokeswoman for Vos said the speaker was traveling Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.
Vos, according to sources, also said the Republican caucuses in both houses remain united in their efforts to rein in Gov. Tony Evers’ massive tax-and-spend budget plan. The Democrat’s $84.2 billion proposal would include an 8-cent per-gallon tax increase on gasoline, which is projected to raise nearly $485 million in new revenue over the life of the two-year budget. Evers’ transportation funding plan also would automatically increase the tax each year, to the rate of inflation, bringing in about $42 million through mid-2021.
Standing united with their brethren in the Senate apparently means Vos and Assembly Republicans are giving up on a gas tax hike.
The complete story here > Vos Taking Gas Tax Hike Off Table, Sources Say