Governor Mark Dayton did not include it in the budget proposal he rolled out Tuesday, but it’s clear he’s still thinking about a gas tax increase to fund transportation projects. Dayton tells Republicans it’s imperative the legislature act this year and adds, “If they don’t want to adopt my proposal, then they need to come up with their own, but it has to be real funding that’s dedicated to transportation for every year for the next decade.” House Speaker Kurt Daudt responds Republicans already made a workable proposal that does *not* increase the gas tax. Daudt says, “You can’t keep wringing money out of the economy and increasing taxes… and one of the most regressive taxes that you can put on Minnesotans is a gas tax.”
Dayton argues a 10-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax would cost the average Minnesota driver just 75 dollars a year. He says, “That money will buy better roads, better highways, less congestion. It’s not even the cadillac version. It’s one that will maintain existing highway conditions and make some strategic improvements and expansions.”
Here’s Dayton on a gas tax increase:
And House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin on the governor’s budget proposal:
And House Speaker Kurt Daudt: