| The Latest: Harwell alternative to gas tax fizzles in
House
AP-House Speaker Beth Harwell's effort to strip any fuel tax increases from fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's road funding proposal has fizzled — at least for now.
Haslam's proposal was approved by the House Finance
Committee after a proposed rewrite of the bill was withdrawn.
The measure now heads to the House Calendar and Rules
Committee, which in nearly all cases is a formality for getting a
floor vote scheduled. But with Harwell's ongoing efforts to scuttle
the tax, the panel made up of committee chairmen and other
legislative leaders may present another chance to try to halt the
measure's progress.
The speaker's supporters also threatened to try to
amend the bill if it reaches the floor.
Haslam argues his proposal represents a net tax cut
for Tennesseans because of reductions in other areas.
The change supported by Republican House Speaker
Beth Harwell would rewrite the legislation to instead draw the
bulk of the funding for new road and bridge construction from
sales taxes paid on new and used vehicles. It would also create
new taxes on electric and hybrid vehicles, and increase
registration fees.
The proposal does not include any of the tax cuts
that the governor has proposed to balance against a gas tax
hike. They would include reductions to the sales tax on
groceries, corporate taxes paid by manufacturers and the tax on
earnings from stocks and bonds.
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4/12/17