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MO House committee approves gas tax bill

The Missouri House Transportation Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 262 Tuesday which would increase the state gas tax by 2.5 cents per year for the next five years.

Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Director of Government Affairs Ross Lien tells Brownfield the current 17 cent gas tax is in the bottom three in the country, but Missouri has the seventh largest road system.

“We don’t have the funding to keep up with the needs of rebuilding our roads and our bridges,” he said. “I think MODOT has $825 million annually of unfunded priorities.”

 Lien said the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan), would make the added gas tax voluntary because…

“Missouri residents, if they choose to, can save their gas tax receipts and at the end of the year they can get a rebate for that increase,” he said.

He said if passed, the increased tax would provide roughly $400 million after rebate for the Missouri Department of Transportation to put towards roads and bridges. The bill will now go to the Rules Committee for review. Lien said he’s confident the bill will pass if it reaches the House floor.