Democrat Minority Leader Scott Pelath
House Democrats will roll out their own plan next week to pay for road building and repairs.
Minority Leader Scott Pelath isn’t ruling out a gas tax hike, as long as the pain at the pump is shared. Democrats have already suggested canceling the repeal of the inheritance tax and the phase-in of corporate tax cuts.
Pelath charges Hoosiers are being asked to foot the bill for improvements which could have been made already if the state hadn’t cut taxes. Republicans say restoring those taxes would only raise about a third of the money the state is looking for, and that the tax cuts are one reason for the state’s nationally-recognize business climate. And House Speaker Brian Bosma notes the gas tax would hit businesses too, while ordinary Hoosiers have shared in cuts to income and property taxes.
Pelath says Democrats’ plan will redirect some existing money, and will include tools for cities and counties to add road and street money. He says local governments can rev up road projects faster than the state and deliver a quicker boost to the economy.