As South Carolina continues to see phased-in increases in revenues to put towards repairs to existing roads and bridges across the state, many states are working to pass their own transportation funding bills to help fund a growing list of infrastructure needs. Here’s a look at plans that have passed over the past month in other states:
Alabama: Includes a 10 cents-per-gallon fuel tax increase, indexed to the National Highway Construction Cost, and new annual registration fees of $200 for electric motor vehicles and $100 for hybrid motor vehicles.
Arkansas: Includes a 3 cents-per-gallon gas tax increase, 6 cents-per-gallon diesel tax increase, and additional levy based on the average wholesale price of fuel. An annual registration fee of $200 for electric motor vehicles, $100 for hybrid motor vehicles, and transfers $35 million annually from casino revenues to the state’s transportation fund. Separate legislation was also passed that would put a referendum to place a half-cent sales tax increase renewal on the 2020 ballot.
Colorado: The legislature plans to allocate $300 million for transportation in this year’s budget, $106 million more than the initial line item. It’s unclear where this revenue will be drawn from in the state’s $30.5 billion budget.
Ohio: Increase the state gas tax by 10.5 cents-per-gallon and the diesel tax by 19 cents-per-gallon, and implement annual registration fees of $200 for electric motor vehicles and $100 for plug-in hybrid motor vehicles.
Utah: Permits owners of alternative fuel vehicles to enroll in a road usage charge program.
Virginia: Generates $280 million annual funding plan for Interstate 81 and other highway improvements. The revenue comes from a local 2.1 percent tax on the average wholesale price of fuel in districts along the I-81 corridor which raises gas prices by about 7 cents-per-gallon in those areas. Truck registration fees will increase in this year, and by 2021 the diesel tax will increase to 2.03 percent of the state average wholesale price per gallon.