Aviation fuel tax increase passes

The Senate has voted 26-8 to pass HB 359, the bill to increase Idaho’s aircraft engine fuel tax by 1.5 cents per gallon. Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, the Senate transportation chairman, said pilots have been contacting him about the bill, and they “tell me that this is desperately needed to take care of these runways these guys fly into. … Airports across the state of Idaho are going to benefit from this action.” That tax hasn’t been increased since 1991, it’s only 5.5 cents a gallon now for aviation gasoline and 4.5 cents for jet fuel, and it’s raising so little that various aviation support programs to Idaho airports have been eliminated for lack of funds. (Idaho’s gas tax for regular gasoline is 25 cents a gallon.) The increase would raise $429,000 a year more for the state Aeronautics Fund and allow the discontinued services to be restored.

“It is not without controversy and nobody likes to increase taxes, I don’t think any of us does,” said Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston. “But from time to time we have to adjust these things.” Voting against the bill were Sens. Bilyeu, Fulcher, Jorgenson, McKague, Pearce, Richardson, Sagness (for Malepeai) and Stennett. It’s already passed the House (51-16), so the bill now goes to the governor’s desk.