The Alabama legislature March 12 approved legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support that will help generate more than $300 million per year in additional transportation infrastructure investment. House Bill 2 (HB 2), also cited as the Rebuild Alabama Act, levied an additional 10-cents-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline and diesel. The excise tax rate will be adjusted by the percentage change in the average National Highway Construction Cost Index. This bill also levied an additional annual license tax and registration fee of $200 for battery electric vehicles and $100 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed the bill into law the same day.
This study analyses the campaign to increase Alabama’s transportation investment, examining who the major players were, why the state needed to increase revenue, and how organizations built a coalition and obtained bipartisan consensus. It explores several significant trends tracked by ARTBA-TIAC in recent years, including the importance of the governor acting as a champion of legislation, comprehensive research to support the need for increased funding, and more. Readers will walk away with best practices and strategies to utilize for their own state.