In North Dakota local governments, farmers, and highway construction companies pressed for a 7-cent increase to fund road projects. Senate Finance and Taxation Committee chairman, Sen. Dwight Cook (R- 34) said the raise on the state’s current 23-cent-per-gallon gas tax might be too high, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R) promised during his campaign not to raise taxes. Read more.
A New Mexico house bill sponsored by Democrats proposes to increase the state’s gasoline tax by 10 cents and the special fuels tax by 5 cents in mid-2020. Many lawmakers agree state roads need to be improved, but opponents contend that an expected $1 billion in additional revenue this fiscal year precludes the need for a fuel tax raise. Read more.
The American Society of Civil Engineers says that Texas desperately needs federal aid while recent state funding mechanisms work to fund transportation infrastructure improvements. Read more.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) intends work with the state legislature to find funding for transportation fixes, but there is no mention of a specific mechanism. After her first state address on Feb. 5 she expects to introduce a budget that will present a path forward on transportation funding. Read more.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) presented its 20-year investment plan, most of which is comprised of road and bridge maintenance funding with little room for new construction projects. The state legislature’s inability to agree on a long-term funding deal has contributed to a $6 billion state transportation funding gap, which some members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party propose to narrow with a gas tax increase. Read more.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes $150 billion for state infrastructure funding over the next five years. This budget includes funds for transportation, park facilities, mass transit, legislation for alternative project delivery methods, and an infrastructure “Green New Deal” geared toward carbon neutrality. Read more.
About 24 road and bridge maintenance projects are postponed by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) due to the federal government budget gridlock. The postponed January projects total $32 million and the delayed February projects are worth $60 million, however the GDOT still expects to receive $1.2 billion in federal funding for the fiscal year. Read more.
Despite its past legislative successes, Idaho Department of Transportation (IDOT) Director Brian Ness reminds state legislators that IDOT faces increasing funding shortfalls while trying to meet additional maintenance needs. Currently, IDOT is exploring replacing the gas tax with a road usage tax as a response to increasing fuel efficiency. Read more.