9/19/05-Less than 24 hours after Oklahoma voters crushed an effort to boost the state’s fuel taxes to help fix roads and bridges, Republicans unveiled a plan to generate transportation dollars without raising taxes.
House Speaker Todd Hiett said the defeat of State Question 723, a proposal to boost Oklahoma’s per gallon tax on diesel and gasoline to 22 cents, “sent a very clear message.”
“Yesterday, the people said: Not one more dime of my money; fix Oklahoma’s roads with dollars you already take from us,” Hiett, R-Kellyville, said at a press conference Sept. 14 at the capitol.
The GOP plan would increase annual appropriations hikes for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation from a maximum of $35 million to $50 million.
It would also create a $100 million emergency bridge repair fund.
Rep. Mark Liotta, R-Tulsa, chairman of the appropriation subcommittee, said it hasn’t been decided whether funds will come from the state’s Rainy Day fund or another source.
“This appropriation will take care of more than 50 of the worst of the worst bridges statewide,” Liotta said.
Counties would also benefit under the plan. The county share of motor vehicle fees would double to 30 percent, an increase of as much as $100 million annually.

4/15/05-A plan eyed by Senate Democrats to fund transportation projects is a pay-as-you-go approach that would commit $102 million annually to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation budget for the next 15 years to refurbish bridges and highways.
“By the year 2020, this plan will allow the Department of Transportation to replace 314 bridges to repair 552 others,” Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, said in a statement. “More than 2,000 miles of state highways will be resurfaced and 120 miles of barriers protecting against crossover accidents will be added to Oklahoma’s interstate system.”

12/20/04-Rep. Jim Newport said he would pursue legislation this next session requiring the state to spend motor vehicle taxes on road repairs and maintenance.
Newport, R-Ponca City, said his idea is to take a portion of the tax collected from vehicle registration and tag fees to pay for roads and bridges.
About $300 million of that tax is earmarked for education and other spending. Newport said that would not change. The general revenue fund gets the other 50 percent, or about $300 million.
The proposed legislation would send $60 million of the motor vehicle tax to the agency the first year, $120 million the second year, and it would cap at $180 million.
The 2005 session is scheduled to begin Feb. 7.