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Oklahoma House Panel Kills 3-Cent-Per-Gallon Gas/Diesel Tax Hike

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A House committee rejected a proposal Tuesday to increase Oklahoma's fuel taxes by three percent.

The House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted 14-to-9 against the bill that would've raised gasoline taxes from 17 to 20 cents per gallon and from 14 to 17 cents for diesel. Supporters like House Budget Committee chairman Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, say the increase would free revenue used to pay for road and bridge construction.

“It's $86 million that would help us,” Sears said. “I like using this word: A 'safe landing' of our state budget."

But House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, said Oklahoma voters soundly defeated a proposed fuel tax increase in 2005.

“It failed by a margin of 87 percent,” Inman said. “Only 51,000 people in the state of Oklahoma voted to increase the gasoline tax. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands opposed it."

Other lawmakers on the JCAB asked about how the money would be split up among the Department of Transportation, eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley reports:

ODOT Executive Director Mike Patterson said language in the bill would allow the agency to receive a monthly mobile fuel tax amount and the amount of the income tax allocation would be reduced and used elsewhere. Sears said that money would essentially "support and enhance" the 8-Year Plan. One member noted that Oklahoma currently has one of the lowest gas and diesel tax of all surrounding states, and would continue to be as such. In debate against the measure, Morrissette said the bill was a disaster and asked members to vote it down. Rep. Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, also debated against the measure saying within the next year he and other will take a serious look at how ODOT is funded. "We will come up with the right plan, this tax is not the answer," he said. "This is not a good bill and I don't knock the chairman for running it but I ask you to vote no."

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Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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