From the States: Marketers aim at tax hikes, higher fees

摘要

The Indiana Petroleum Marketers andrnConvenience Store Association has urged itsrnmembers to put signs on their pumps askingrncustomers to tell state legislators to put thernbrakes on a bill to hike the gasoline excise tax.rnHouse Bill 1002 was expected to pass the staternHouse of Representatives.rnThe association is hoping to get a “morernreasonable” replacement version in the state Senate,rnExecutive Director Scot Imus said.rnThe measure would allow up to a 10cts/gal,rnone-time increase and also establish a formula forrnannual tax increases in the future that could be up torn1ct/gal, according to a digest of the bill on the staternLegislature’s website. It stated that the gasoline tax isrncurrently 18cts/gal, the tax on special fuels (such asrnCNG, biodiesel or heating fuel) is 16cts/gal, and thernmotor carrier surcharge tax is 11cts/gal.rnThe association argues that under this proposal,rnIndiana would have the fifth-highest gasoline tax raternin the nation, compared with its current ranking ofrn14th. It also would mean that Indiana’s taxes wouldrnexceed those of neighboring states Illinois, Michigan,rnOhio and Kentucky, the group said.rnThe measure calls for a hike in diesel exciserntaxes, but drivers of heavy trucks would pay “a farrnless proportion of their fair share” of the taxes, therngroup said.rnThe bill’s author, Rep. Ed Soliday (R) saidrnthe measure is needed because the state’s currentrnformula for funding roads is outdated. Soliday saidrnhis bill would ensure Indiana has money dedicatedrnsolely to infrastructure.rnBut the association said it believes thatrn“lawmakers should wait to see what new revenuerncomes to Indiana from President Trump’s campaignrnpromise to enact a $1 trillion infrastructure plan.rnHB 1002 does not assume any new revenue comingrnfrom Washington.”rnIn other news from around the country:rn• A proposal to support Vermont’s Clean WaterrnFund calls