9/30/03-A legislative committee has voted to sponsor a bill boosting Wyoming’s fuel tax by 6 cents a gallon.
The increase, which would be phased in over three years, would raise $38 million a year by 2006. Of the total, $13 million would go to roads, $13 million to local governments and $12 million to schools.
The Joint Interim Revenue Committee voted Sept. 24 to sponsor the bill after hearing from supporters.
The fuel tax proposal will need a two-thirds vote to be introduced during next year’s budget session.
Earlier this year, the state House voted against a 1-cent increase in the fuel tax to help pay for city street improvements. Another bill failed that would have raised the tax 3 cents a gallon to fund a statewide multilane highway program.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal recently told the Wyoming Transportation Commission he does not support raising the fuel tax. But he told commissioners they could convince him to change his mind if there is widespread public support for the idea.
Freudenthal predicted the Legislature will not pass a tax hike, because it is an election year and because the state has a surplus.

9/18/03-Gov. Dave Freudenthal told the Wyoming Transportation Commission he does not support raising the state fuel tax to pay for widening several state highways.
But he told commissioners they could convince him to change his mind if there is widespread public support for the idea.
“I’d want a great deal more comfort that it’s going to enjoy broad support from that public that’s going to use the roads,”he said during an informal meeting with the commissioners Sept. 17 in Cheyenne.
Freudenthal predicted the Legislature will not pass a fuel tax increase during this winter’s budget session, because it is an election year and because the state has a surplus.
Although the state anticipates a budget surplus this year, the rate of spending increases will likely outpace revenues in coming years, so lawmakers could be looking at any number of revenue measures sometime soon, he said.
Plus, he said, Congress has yet to act on a major transportation funding bill, which could ultimately decrease the amount of federal funding that goes to WYDOT.
In that case, state lawmakers might consider a fuel tax hike to offset the loss of federal funds, the governor said.