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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Senate Eyes $127M Road Proposal

Idaho senators took a $20 million road-funding bill from the House on Tuesday and turned it into a phased-in, $127 million plan. The original House bill would have raised registration fees on cars and trucks by $15 each next year, plus imposed new fees on electric and hybrid cars. The amended version from the Senate ups the registration fee increase to $25, slightly lowers the hybrid fee, and tacks on a 10-cent increase in the gas tax to be phased in over the next four years. Senate Transportation Chairman Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, noted that the state faces a $262 million annual shortfall for maintenance of its roads and bridges. “If we’re going to get anywhere close to 262 … we need to take every opportunity to be reasonable and prudent, and I think this is,” he told the Senate/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here.

Question: Do you think the Idaho Legislature should go big or go home re: road construction bill?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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