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Indiana House OK’s gas tax increase for road funding

Indiana’s House of Representatives has approved a 10 cent gasoline tax increase.

Randy Frye represents Indiana’s 67th district and is one of the cosponsors of House Bill 1002 – the Transportation infrastructure funding bill.  He says when rural roads were first built – they weren’t designed to support today’s farm equipment.  “They were built for small trucks and even horse-drawn wagons,” he says.  “Now we’re driving tractor-trailers across them.  The bridges also were also not built for near the traffic – or the weight.”

He tells Brownfield the tax increase is part of plan to fund infrastructure repair and upkeep.  “It will help offset inflation,” he says.  “The last time the gas tax was raised was in 2003 and inflation has eaten it away.  At the same time cars get better fuel mileage.  So there is less money coming in and it cost more to build roads.  It also has a 10-cent-per-gallon increase in diesel fuel which will also help us a great deal.”

The bill also adds a $15 registration fee for every vehicle, a $150 fee for electric vehicles and requires a study on tolling.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

Brownfield spoke with Frye at the Indiana Corn and Soybean Legislative Breakfast earlier this week.

AUDIO: Randy Frye, Indiana’s 67th District

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