A New Hampshire bill to raise the gas tax by approximately 4.2-cents-per-gallon passed in the Senate on March 27 with a vote of 15-9. The bill will now be considered in the House, where public hearings are expected to begin soon.
Senate Bill 367—sponsored by Senator Jim Rausch (R-Derry)—proposes an increase of the state gasoline tax by 4.2-cents-per-gallon in 2014, which would raise $32 million for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The bill would provide funding for an interstate construction and expansion project and for the rebuilding of a bridge.
Governor Maggie Hassan was pleased to see this legislation pass in the Senate. Hassan said, “Addressing our transportation challenges is essential for the success of New Hampshire’s people and businesses and for encouraging long-term economic growth…Today’s bipartisan vote to strengthen infrastructure investment reinforces that there is broad consensus that we must take action to improve New Hampshire’s roads and bridges.”
The Americans for Prosperity’s New Hampshire chapter and the New Hampshire Republican Party both oppose raising the gasoline tax.