Gas Tax Hikes Are Not The Answer
Christine Harbin Hanson
For most Americans across the country, the lower prices at the gas pump have had a direct positive impact on everyday living. The average price of a gallon of gasoline hovers around $2 across the country, saving the average household about $100 every month. These lower gas prices shouldn’t be an excuse to raise taxes, but that’s exactly what many federal and state lawmakers are poised to do.
Governors and state legislators are currently considering per-gallon tax hikes of 2 cents per year in South Dakota, 10 cents in Iowa, 10 cents in Utah, 10 cents in Texas, 10 cents in South Carolina, 13 cents in Illinois, and a whopping 25 cents in New Jersey.
In Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton proposed a 6.5% gross receipts tax on gasoline at the wholesale level, in combination with a number of other tax hikes. In Michigan, legislators approved a plan that could push per gallon gas taxes as high as 40 cents by 2018, pending voter approval. In Georgia, lawmakers are considering replacing the state gasoline tax with state and local excise tax on gasoline, which would effectively raise the tax per gallon from 45.4 cents to 53.6 cents.
Additional states seem poised to follow suit in proposing gas tax hikes as governors around the country unveil ambitious comprehensive transportation plans.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2015/03/06/gas-tax-hikes-are-not-the-answer/
