It’s not often that we hear of Republicans advocating for tax increases, but the Republican Chairmen of the Senate and House Transportation Committees are endorsing tax hike proposals to pay for transportation needs in the future.
Senate Chairman Senator Bill Stouffer (R-Napton) would like popular approval for a sales tax increase that would see proceeds going to transportation projects. He says the money is going to be needed soon. House Transportation Committee Chairman Representative Neal St. Onge (R-Ballwin) wants to send a tax proposal to a vote of the people, as well, but his proposal differs slightly from the one put forward by Stouffer.
Both tax increase calls were heard at a Jefferson City Transportation Funding Summit hosted by the Missouri Transportation & Development Council, a division of Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM).
At the gathering, Transportation Director Pete Rahn warned additional revenues will be needed to compensate for few Amendment 3 dollars at the state level and fewer transportation dollars from the federal government, which is moving in the direction of having the states take more responsibility for the building and maintaining of their own roads.
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