House will debate bill raising the gas tax

A bill that would raise the gas tax by ten cents has passed the House Revenue Committee. Revenue from the increased taxes would fund highway construction and maintenance throughout the state, a sector that’s currently underfunded.

Chairman of the House Revenue Committee, Michael Madden, says the measure is supported by many groups.

"About every engine that makes our economy run, we had strong support for this bill. And the overall gist of the thing was that Wyoming runs on roads and it’s too important of an asset to watch deteriorate. "

Opponents worry that the increase will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher gas prices…but Madden says that won’t necessarily be the case.  

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The bill now goes to the full House, where Madden expects to see some amendments.