Pawlenty says he could back 5-cent gas tax increase

08/29/2007

Associated Press | August 29, 2007


Gov. Tim Pawlenty defined a "reasonable" gas tax increase Wednesday as being "up to a nickel" per gallon and said he could support that size of a hike if he and DFL legislative leaders can reach agreement on a limited agenda for a special session.

Since the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge on Aug. 1, Pawlenty has said he would consider a reasonable gas tax hike to help fund road and bridge improvements, and would prefer that it be temporary and at least partly offset by reductions in other taxes. In a radio interview Wednesday he said up to a five-cent increase was what he had in mind.

Sen Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, called the five-cent increase -- expected to raise about $150 million per year -- a step in the right direction, but nowhere near the $1 billion needed to repair deficient bridges in Minnesota.

But Pawlenty's spokesman Brian McClung emphasized in an interview that the gas tax discussion is only one part of the agenda Pawlenty believes "would be beneficial" in a special session.

McClung listed a bonding bill to fund "infrastructure related to flood recovery and for road and bridge safety"; cash appropriations for flood relief; a property tax relief measure; and "a comprehensive transportation package" that could include a gas tax increase along with bonding.

But the broad transportation package could be postponed, McClung said. "The governor feels that if an agreement cannot be reached on a comprehensive transportation package that issue should be set aside until the regular session so progress can be made on the emergency needs that are in front of us," McClung said.