BY ALBERT JAMES
Olympia – Drivers could be paying more at the pump this summer, as lawmakers are considering an increase to the state’s gas tax to close a billion-dollar gap in transportation spending.
House and Senate transportation leaders released their budget proposals on Monday. Legislators from both parties in the legislature argue current resources are not enough to meet the state’s transportation needs. They point to increases in construction costs creating a billion-dollar shortfall that could balloon up to four billion in six years.
“This is unprecedented in terms of where we’re at in transportation,” House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, said on Monday.
While the two chambers are proposing various different cuts and ways to streamline construction, legislators said they ultimately need more money to finish projects, maintain roadways and promote safety.
“If we were to use our existing resources alone, it would mean significant delays to projects all over the state,” said Senate Transportation Chair Marko Liias, D-Edmonds. “It would mean suspending workforce development initiatives at ferries and state patrol. And it would mean an inadequate transportation system for Washingtonians.”
To bring in more revenue, the two chambers offer different solutions, like the Senate authorizing tolls on State Route 520 beyond the floating bridge and the House implementing an annual fee for more fuel-efficient cars. However, both proposals include an increase to the state’s gas tax.
Federal government data shows Washington has the country’s third-highest tax at 49 cents a gallon, which was last increased in 2016. The Senate transportation revenue proposal would increase that by 6 cents in July, while the House would add 9 cents. Both would annually index to inflation in the years after.
“Nobody likes to raise taxes. You know my side doesn’t like to raise taxes,” said Senate Transportation Ranking Member Curtis King, R-Yakima. “But the realities of life are what they are. And in order to make the system work, it takes money.”
While the gas tax increase has some Republican buy-in, not everyone on the right is sold.
House Transportation Ranking Member Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, said the gas tax, along with other proposed fees and taxes from this session’s transportation and operating budgets, comes at a bad time.
“Washington state is feeling the pressures of how expensive it is to live, to work here,” he said. “And if you look at the environment right now with what’s coming in the next 30 days, with all these tax proposals that are being put forth, this is just not the right time to be talking about increasing that pressure on the people of Washington.”
Barkis said the state should instead look at repurposing Climate Commitment Act funds, though Democrats are opposed to that idea.
The Republican said he will push for alternatives, as a lot can change between these initial proposals and the final budget.
“I’m going to try to make sure that we do not impose the burdens on them that we’re seeing right now to make it more expensive to live here in Washington state,” Barkis said.
Both budget proposals are set to be voted out of committee on Thursday. The full Senate will vote on their proposal Saturday, while the House proposal will get a floor vote next Wednesday. From there, both chambers will have to reconcile their differences to pass one bill by the end of session.
Albert James is a reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.