Lawmakers want federal gas tax lowered —to raise state gas tax

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SCR6 • Utah legislators took the first step Monday to send Congress a message: Please reduce the federal gasoline tax to allow states to raise it by the same amount.

The Senate Transportation, Public Utilities and Technology Committee voted 3-0 to pass SCR6 calling for that. It now goes to the full Senate.

Its sponsor, Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, said the idea is to have motorists pay the same amount, but give states more control and less administrative burden over how it is spent locally. She adds that some Republicans in Congress intend to introduce such a bill there shortly.

"Right now, we send $1 to Washington, D.C., and we get roughly $1 back. But with the strings that are attached to those dollars, we are really only able to spend about 55 to 75 cents on the dollar," she said. "This just helps us be better managers of our own money, and help spread those transportation dollars further."

Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, praised the resolution saying it gives more control over "Utah decision-making rather than the federal government's."

Lee Davidson