Legislation that would raise the state gas tax in Iowa will be up for votes in committees in both the House and Senate this week and Governor Terry Branstad is working behind the scenes to round up votes.
At the beginning of the year Branstad and other legislative leaders had expressed the hope the bill could be passed through both the House and Senate by this week.
Owners of Iowa convenience stores and truck stops are pleading with legislators to phase in an increase in the state gas tax rather than have it take effect all at once this spring. Dawn Carlson of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa says since consumers use a credit card for about 70 percent of gasoline sales, if the pump price increases 10-cents per gallon, transaction fees will increase.
Americans for Prosperity opposes extra fees at the pump and has launched a “Stop the Gas Tax” online petition drive. The group is pushing a constitutional amendment that would dedicate three-and-a-half percent of the other taxes already collected by the state for road and bridge projects.
