The Kentucky legislature has acted to stem the drop in gas tax revenues that are used to repair and build roads across the Commonwealth. Passage of a measure to stabilize the state's road fund was a priority of Governor Beshear's.
Officially, it came very early Wednesday morning when House members put their stamp of approval on the gas tax agreement. Owensboro Representative Tommy Thompson voted yes. "We need our roads for convenience, we need them to be safe, but we need them for commerce," said Thompson.
The gas tax measure sets a $0.26 floor for the levy and limits any drop to no more than ten percent. The legislation also provides for an annual adjustment of the fuel tax, instead of quarterly. Elizabethtown Representative Tim Moore believes the road fund issue deserved more time to digest before voting. "But I would ask every member here in explaining my no, did you read this? Did you have time to read this?” Asked Moore.
Erlanger Representative Adam Koenig says the gas tax funding method is 'outdated' and 'outmoded.' "It's my opinion that we need to fund our roads not based upon how much gas you buy, but how many miles you drive,” said Koenig. “But, that's just one of many ideas that are out there."
House Speaker Greg Stumbo supports the move. "Particularly with the weather that we've had to forego this last winter and the terrible status of the roads, every county judge that I know of and magistrate across the state says we need more money to fix these roads," said Stumbo.
The gas tax measure won final passage before the House by a 67 to 29 vote.
