$1.2 Billion Road Funding Package Sent To Governor

The state legislature has sent Gov. Eric Holcomb a $1.2 billion-a-year road funding package, fulfilling a session-long pledge from all four legislative caucuses.

The road funding package generates money in several ways, including gasoline tax hikes and BMV fees, providing $340 million per year to local roads and $870 million for the state.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane criticized the larger scope of the bill, raising gasoline taxes while cutting taxes for casinos in the state in a separate bill.

“There’s no doubt we need an infrastructure bill. We’ve probably needed one for some time,” Lanane says. “And so now we are facing, the largest, gasoline tax increase, that I can remember in my years in the Indiana General Assembly.”

Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen) says the road funding package becomes a challenge to local roads commissions and the state department of transportation to improve state infrastructure.

“So what we’re doing is, we’re giving – we’re giving you guys the means, now you have to take it and put the ball in play,” Doriot says.

The bill passed the House, 69 to 29, and the Senate 37 to 12. It now goes to Gov. Holcomb.