INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Network Indiana): A final vote on a 20-year road-funding plan could come Thursday, a day ahead of schedule.
House Speaker Brian Bosma says negotiators are reviewing a draft of a final deal, and expects an agreement Wednesday. A vote would follow 24 hours later.
The outlines of a deal have been clear for weeks. Both the House and Senate have endorsed a 10-cents-a-gallon gas tax hike, followed by annual increases of up to a penny to keep pace with inflation. Both plans would also charge you an extra $15 to register your car, while electric vehicles would pay $100.
There are minor differences on issues including hybrids and aviation fuel, but the main sticking point has been an issue which doesn’t directly affect your pocketbook: the earmarking of gasoline sales taxes for roads. A little over a third of that money already goes to roads, and Bosma says dedicating all of it to roads is a priority for House Republicans. Discussions have centered on ways to phase in the shift to avoid a big jolt to the state’s bottom line.
Bosma says once the road deal is finalized, a new two-year budget is likely to follow.
