AASHTO Journal, 6 March 2015
The Washington legislature could act soon on a major funding package, after the state Senate approved a $15 billion transportation measure March 2 that includes a motor fuel user charge increase of 11.7 cents over three years.
That 27-22 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate allows negotiations to commence with the Democratic-controlled House.
The bill did not include carbon tax ideas proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee, and reportedly included language to prevent him from ordering low-carbon fuel standards. Some opponents criticized the Senate bill as well for redirecting some state revenue to transportation that now goes into education.
Senators also passed a spending bill that designates money for specific projects, and an earlier set of measures that include a bill to exempt state highway projects from the sales tax. The spending bill would put more than $8 billion into roads, plus money for transit, bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways.
Under the revenue measure, the motor fuel fee would rise by 5 cents a gallon this summer, with a 4.2-cent increase the second year and a final 2.5-cent increase in the third.