Transportation Task Force Closing In On Tax Recommendations To Improve Roads

The Transportation Task Force meets today to further discuss recommendations on how to improve the states’ roads and bridge. Recommendations are expected to be released later this month for the legislature to consider. House Transportation Chairman and State Rep. Kenny Havard anticipates there will be a proposal to increase the state’s gasoline tax, which is currently at 20-cents a gallon.

“I don’t know exactly where the number is going to fall right now whether it’s 20 cents, 10 cents, 5 cents but it looks like that’s where we’re heading.”

But Havard says he is concerned lawmakers will not support raising the gasoline tax. He says residents will also likely be skeptical that revenues from a higher tax will go towards better highways.

“Over the years, the money hasn’t been spent where we said it was going to be spent. State Troopers have gotten $50 million a year out of the trust fund and it should’ve been going to concrete and asphalt.”

Havard says another funding option that he would like to see move forward is a one-cent per gallon refinery tax, which will lessen the burden on Louisiana residents

“So if we were to say put one penny on every gallon that was produced here locally, the refineries could pass it on to us but they’d also be passing it on to anybody else who had to buy Louisiana gas.”