Lawmakers scramble to find fixes for state's roads
From a 10-cent gas tax increase to legalized gambling, lawmakers will again be looking at several proposals to raise billions of dollars in recurring monies to fix the state’s crumbling roads and bridges.
“No question, we have to address the road needs,” said Republican Rep. Eddie Tallon of Spartanburg, the new House assistant majority leader. “However, there are a number of ways it can be done before I say what I’m going to do. Everybody is calling for a dedicated funding stream.”
State Transportation Secretary Christy Hall has said the DOT needs an additional $1.5 billion a year over several decades to bring the nation’s fourth-largest state-maintained highway system to good condition.
Previous attempts to raise the gas tax have fallen flat. Instead, the Legislature ends up passing stop-gap measures that fail to address the Department of Transportation’s long-term needs.
Read more: http://www.goupstate.com/news/20161230/lawmakers-scramble-to-find-fixes-for-states-roads