Texas won't change gas tax this session, transportation official says

Lance Murray

The state's gas tax will likely remain unchanged during this legislative session.

The gas tax in Texas will likely stay the same this legislative session but lawmakers are looking for other ways to fund transportation projects.

Some ideas, like increasing vehicle registration fees, still impact consumers, while others, like reallocating existing revenue streams, don?t.

Today, I spoke with Vic Suhm, executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, who was on his way to Austin to talk with lawmakers about the urgent need to invest in the state?s highways.

He said he supports increasing the 20-cent gas tax, which hasn't been changed since 1991.

But, he said there's not a lot of public support for that so legislators aren't likely to consider it.

?The likelihood of them increasing the gas tax this session is pretty low but it?s some we try to keep in front of them,? said Suhm.

Where the gas tax dollars go could change, however.

Lawmakers in the house and senate have shown support for discontinuing the use of gas tax funds for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Suhm said. Instead, state troopers would be funded from the state?s general fund.

That would free up more money for transportation projects.

Another 25 percent of the revenue goes to fund public education and would require voter approval to reallocate.

Other ideas up for consideration would allocate sales tax from the sale of new and used vehicles to transportation. A bill by Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, would do the same with sales tax dollars from tires and automotive parts.

The annual vehicle registration fee also could increase.

Nicholas covers energy, banking and other topics for the Dallas Business Journal.

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