Road usage fee in 2017?

A House committee is recommending that the 2017 legislature consider a bill to establish a road usage fee.

The bill, HB 1602, would establish a fee based on the miles per gallon of a vehicle. 

Such a road usage fee is intended to make up for lower gas tax revenue from hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. Those vehicles are responsible for just as much wear and tear on roads, and arguably are not paying their fair share for road maintenance.

Opponents of HB 1602 argue that unless the state also lowers the gas tax, the road usage fee is a burdensome tax on residents.

Other opponents argue that alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles provide other benefits to the state, such as cleaner air, and therefore an additional fee is unfair.

When the LFDA asked our Facebook fans about a road usage fee last summer, the majority opposed the proposal.  Click here to read the results of that conversation.

Do you think the legislature should approve a road usage fee? Let us know in the comments.