The vote was unanimous on all five bills, as the House Transportation Committee voted to introduce Gov. Butch Otter's transportation proposals. Some lawmakers made it clear, however, that they're not yet sold on the governor's plan. "I'm going to vote to print these today, but I want it known that during these tough times, this is not an easy vote," Rep. Phylis King, D-Boise, said. "I think the sixth bill here should be local-option authority, and we should include it." The governor's five bills would: Phase in a shift of funding for the Idaho State Police from the gas tax to state general funds, making the gas taxes that now go to ISP available for road work; impose a 6 percent daily excise tax on car rentals, raising about $2 million a year; increase the gas tax by 2 cents a year each year for five years, raising an additional $17.6 million next year and $88 million by 2014; increase car and truck registration fees over the next five years, while also increasing heavy truck registration fees 5 percent next year and launching a study of truck fees; and eliminate the current ethanol exemption.

House Transportation Chairwoman JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, said hearings on the governor's bills are more than a week away. "It'll be a while, because we've got to introduce all the rest of 'em," she said, adding that she's expecting as many as 15 other proposals. "Oh yes, we've got a lot of work coming," she said.

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