Members of the Ohio House and Senate have passed a transportation budget bill, raising the gas tax by 10.5 cents beginning in July. The lawmakers said that will be enough to help Ohio close a funding gap to pay for state construction projects.
The transportation budget bill would increase the gas tax to a total of 38.5 cents a gallon. The deal also includes a 19-cent hike to the diesel fuel tax.
Republican House Speaker Larry Householder said these changes would generate about $524 million in additional funding for state infrastructure projects.
“The state made a case that between $500 to $550 million was what they needed in the first year and this reached that goal, and it provided a lot of critical money needed by the locals as well. So yeah, I was pleased with this.”
The bill also adds $70 million for public transportation and gets rid of Ohio’s two-license plate rule, allowing for one license plate starting in 2020.
