Ohio House passes lower gas tax increase than Governor DeWine's proposed increase

SOUTH POINT, Ohio (WCHS/WVAH) — The Ohio House has passed a transportation budget bill that includes a 10.7-cent a gallon increase in the gas tax. Governor Mike DeWine proposed an 18-cent increase. Even though that tax increase is lower, the tax is still not settling well with drivers.

"I'm on a fixed income. It's a little hard driving on fixed income on the gas prices," said Randy Williams, an Ohio driver.

"We pay taxes on everything else. I don't think there should be a tax on fuel," said Johnny Johnson, an Ohio driver.

Money from the gas tax increase would be used to maintain roads and bridges across the state.

"We have neglected them too long. We now face a crisis today that must be addressed immediately," said Governor Mike DeWine, R-Ohio.

It's good to think like that until you drive down the road and you hit all these potholes and stuff like that and then you are like wonder when they are going to fix this. Six months down the road still hitting the same pothole and it's deeper," said Seth Finnegan, an Ohio driver.

The Transportation Budget Bill that passed the Ohio House includes a 10.7-cent a gallon gas tax increase that would be phased in over three years. That would generate an estimated $872-million a year. Governor Mike DeWine's proposed 18-cent a gallon increase would generate $1.2-billion a year.

"I'd like to see better roads, but I wish they would spend our tax dollars better to start with," said Joe Ketcham, an Ohio driver.

The Transportation Budget Bill that contains the gas tax legislation is now in the Ohio Senate. Governor DeWine says the bill is far from ideal and he plans to work with the Senate to improve it.

Money from the gas tax increase would be split between the Ohio Department of Transportation and local governments for their own local infrastructure needs.

Highlights of the Ohio Transportation Budget Bill approved by the Ohio House include:

-- a 10.7-cents-per-gallon increase to the current 28-cents-per-gallon gas tax over two years, starting Oct. 1. the bill reported out of the House Finance Committee on Wednesday night had called for the increase to be phased in over three years.

-- a 20-cents-per-gallon increase to the current 28-cents-per-gallon diesel tax over three years, starting Oct. 1.

-- providing $100 million a year in federal transportation funding to public transit.

-- splitting revenue from the fuel taxes, with the Ohio department of transportation to receive 55 percent and 45 percent to go to local governments.

-- a yearly registration fee on alternative-fuel vehicles including $200 for electric vehicles and $100 for hybrids.

-- requiring only one license plate on a vehicle, in the back.

-- allowing municipalities and townships to levy an additional $5 motor vehicle registration fee.

-- regulation by the state of light-weight electric scooters including age limits, speed restrictions and other provisions.

-- the creation of ohio's road to the future committee to study ohio's infrastructure needs and report back to the ohio general assembly by october 1.