Mother Recalls Tragedy in Fight Over Tax Cut

A mid-Missouri woman who lost a child and her father in a car wreck shares her story of tragedy, hoping to convince lawmakers in Washington they shouldn’t touch the federal gas tax. St. Thomas resident Marilyn Heregon joins Senator Bond in opposing a repeal of the 4.3 cent hike in the federal gas tax enacted in 1993. Bond says it wouldn’t help bring down the cost of gas, but would cost Missouri $127-Million a year in highway construction dollars. Heregon says less construction money means more dangerous driving conditions. More than 5,000 people died on Missouri highways between 1992 and ’96 due to deteriorating roads. Heregon lost her 8-year-old daughter in a 1987 car wreck. She says a rollback of the gas tax would cause more to die.