Last Friday the House passed Governor Ivey’s plan to raise fuel taxes 10 cents a gallon over the next three years to fund road and bridge repairs as well as improvements for the Port of Mobile. HB2 also imposes a $100 per year fee on the owner of hybrid vehicles.
State Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, is the sponsor of the legislation. It is being carried in the Senate by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville.
The tax increase is expected to bring in an additional $310 million a year, which then can be used to draw down over a billion in federal dollars. The state gets two thirds of the money and the rest is divided among the 67 counties and over 400 cities and towns.
The Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee issued a resolution urging the legislature not to pass the bill raising taxes on fuel. The subject is very controversial with Republicans.
Rep. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, voted no.
Weaver said, “It’s been quite a week. Today the House debated and voted on the Rebuild Alabama Act-the bill to raise the gas tax for infrastructure. I voted no and here’s why….while we can all agree we need to address our infrastructure, after many hours of constituent discussions, meetings, and prayers I decided based on local comments and dynamics it just wasn’t the right decision for me and the area I serve. I respect the decisions of my colleagues and know we will be able to work together on other issues moving forward as we continue to focus on making Alabama a better place.”
The Senate has not voted on the Bill yet. The Bibb Voice reached out to Senator Cam Ward for a statement on the bill however he has not returned a response as of the date of this post.
