Governor Jay Nixon (D) supports increasing Missouri’s gas tax to help pay for Missouri’s infrastructure, but he’s not a fan of the proposal that passed out of the Senate last week. The bill would ask voters if Missouri’s gas tax should be increased by nearly 6-cents per gallon.

Governor Jay Nixon

Governor Jay Nixon

“If I was to order what we should get done, I think the original version of Senator [Doug] Libla’s bill was something that would have made a short term but important step forward. I thought especially with gas prices were they were and are, that would’ve been a doable,” said Nixon.

Libla’s original bill called for an increase of 1.5-cents for unleaded and 3.5-cents per gallon for diesel. He says the Legislature’s failure to find a transportation funding fix led him to propose a greater increase.

Libla’s newer version is headed to the House where leadership is less favorable to increasing taxes to help pay for roads and bridges.

Senator Doug Libla (R-Poplar Bluff)

Senator Doug Libla (R-Poplar Bluff)

“Let’s get something done while the prices are low and let’s get a couple of cents and let’s start moving forward,” said Nixon. “I’d like to see us do something that we can get done and get done quickly that would have a small but incremental effect.”

Lawmakers are also considering reinstating a cost-sharing program that would create a partnership between state and local governments to split the cost of infrastructure projects.