This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Senate killed on Monday a bill that would have raised the state gasoline tax by 5 cents a gallon.
Senators voted 19-8 to kill SB239, which would have brought the first hike on Utah's gasoline tax in 14 years. It would have raised the state portion of the gasoline tax from 24.5 cents a gallon to 29.5 cents. The federal government also charges 18.5 cents on top of that.
The bill also would have raised gas taxes by three-fourths a cent each in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, sponsor of the bill, said the $60 million the bill would have raised was needed for long-delayed fixes on highways, especially in rural areas. "I think we are kicking the can down the road, but we will just spend more down the road" by rejecting the tax, he said.
He added that a flat, per-gallon tax has not kept pace with inflation. Also, he said cars get better mileage now than in 1997, the most recent time the tax was raised, so Utah doesn't sell as much fuel per driver.
He said a 13 or 14 cent increase for gallon would be needed to restore state gasoline taxes to their buying power of 1997, the last time they were raised. He said that would be too much to ask in a time of inflation.
Most other senators thought asking a 5-cent increase was too much, especially during a recession.
"I think the timing is really off," said Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan. "We're trying to recover. I don't go out and buy a new pair of Levis just because I need them if I don't have the money."
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said gasoline prices have had a record rapid increase in the past month, and the tax would add to woes.
Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, said if Congress "would deal with it and pass a highway bill, we wouldn't have this problem, so I vote no."