House To Vote On Transportation Fee Hikes

House To Vote On Transportation Fee Hikes — The  House Transportation Committee completed a series of public hearings on Senate Bill 1, a multi-year, comprehensive transportation funding plan, reports state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). The committee received testimony from various stakeholders and industry representatives, including Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and representatives from public transportation systems, construction and engineering interests, agriculture, trucking, rail freight and others.

Senate Bill 1 aims to raise an additional $2.5 billion a year for transportation funding, with an additional $11 billion overall over five years, by proposing to:

–Remove the cap on the Oil Company Franchise Tax, which is charged at the wholesale level, over a period of five years.

–Reduce the State Liquid Fuels Tax over a period of four years.

— Make vehicle registrations valid for two years instead of one and increasing the net cost by $32.

— Make driver’s licenses valid for six years instead of four and increasing the net cost by $6.25.

The House Transportation Committee expects to vote on the bill this week.

Pennsylvania has some of the oldest transportation infrastructure in the country, Cox said. The governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission has identified the need for an additional $3.5 billion annually to support maintenance and repair of the state’s roads and bridges, as well as public transportation systems.

You know Jim, ending the prevailing wage requirements might just cut the cost of those infrastructure improvements to the point where we don’t need these burdensome fee hikes.

Just sayin’.

House To Vote On Transportation Fee Hikes

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