Legislator's bid to raise gas tax, eliminate car sales tax fails
Friday, March 07, 2008COLUMBIA (AP) -- Efforts to raise the state's gasoline tax in exchange for eliminating the sales tax on cars have been defeated in a House committee.
Lawmakers balked at raising the gas tax while prices currently average more than $3 dollars a gallon. The committee instead passed a bill that spends car sales tax collections on road projects.
Representative Rex Rice told the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday that raising the gas tax five cents by the summer of 2012 would generate $160 million and cost the typical driver about $25 a year. He says the plan would save car buyers $300 in taxes.
Rice wanted a quarter of the money to go to repairing dangerous bridges and roads and the rest spent on other highway projects.
To subscribe to the print edition of The Times and Democrat, click here.
