House Proposes Transportation Budget

Jake Judd | Apr 2, 2019 AT 5:33 pm

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(KNSI) - Democrats who control the Minnesota House have proposed a transportation budget that includes the governor's 20-cent per gallon gas tax.

Democrat Frank Hornstein says the House plan unveiled Tuesday would phase in the gas tax over four years and help fund the state's infrastructure needs into the future.

"The bill establishes permanent, sustainable, ongoing and dedicated funding for transportation that meets the needs of our growing state."

Democrat House member Brad Tabke talked about why he took time to help write the bill.

"In order to get a bill that invest in a bold and aggressive way in transportation throughout the entire state of Minnesota."

The House Democratic transportation budget mostly mirror's the Governor Tim Walz's proposals.

There are some differences on license tab fee increases. And they propose a half-cent sales tax increase for the Twin Cities metro area instead of the one-eighth-cent increase Walz proposed.

Meanwhile the Republican-controlled Senate transportation committee has voted down the governor's package of transportation tax increases.

Republican State Senator Jim Abler told KNSI's Dan "The Ox" Ochsner that there's no need for a gas tax.

"You know it's a hoax, there is absolutely not a requirement for a gas tax. You know, he ran on a dime tax and he pops up with a 20-center."

Abler says the state has a billion-dollar surplus it can use to fix the roads that need it the most.

The lawmaker says he doesn’t hear people asking for the gas tax and he asks, like he did at a recent town hall meeting.

"I said who wants to pay the gas tax and one guy thrust his hand up in the air, one out of 150, and then his friend said oh ya, he has an electric car."

Republican Senate Transportation Committee chair Scott Newman says he plans to propose his own broad transportation package next week.

Posted By Jake Judd Anchor/Reporter Jake Judd was born and raised in Anoka Minnesota where he attended high school. He attended Brown College where he graduated with a degree in broadcasting. Jake’s radio career includes news at KCII in Washington Iowa and news at KRCQ and KDLM in Detroit Lakes Minnesota.