Lawmakers Aim to Address Road and Bridge Funding

Mike Mozart / CC

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KWNO)-Minnesota lawmakers are looking at different ways to ensure the state has an adequate revenue stream to fund road and bridge repairs.  

Those projects are funded by the state’s gas tax of $0.28.5 per gallon. Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller told KWNO that more fuel-efficient vehicles and electric vehicles have rendered the gas tax as an unstainable revenue stream for transportation work.  

“Senate Republicans are looking to shift the collection of sales tax on auto-related parts to specifically fund transportation, road and bridge projects,” Miller said.  

Rep. Gene Pelowski says lawmakers have time to find a way to maintain road and bridge project funding. 

“The good news would be that we can take our time on this,” Pelowski told KWNO. “We’re going to have to figure out some other mechanism to replenish the funds we used for repair and replacement of our roads and bridges.”  

Last week Senate Republicans also proposed a tax at electric vehicle charging stations that they say is similar to the state’s gas tax.