It’s official: gas is going up ten cents a gallon on Sunday.
Governor Terry Branstad has approved the bill increasing the state’s gas tax by a dime a gallon.
“This is a bill that’s been developed with both the Republicans and Democrats working together,” Branstad says. “I know it’s not easy and I know that there are also people who feel strongly on the other side, but there is a critical need for additional funding for our roads and bridges in the state of Iowa.”
Since the beginning of the year Branstad met personally with legislative leaders at least five times to discuss options for dealing with a 215-million dollar shortfall in meeting the critical needs of Iowa’s trnaportation infrastructure. The outcome of those meetings was the bill that cleared the Iowa Senate, then the House on Tuesday in a span of less than two-and-a-half hours.
Critics like Senator Brad Zaun say the greatest needs are in rural Iowa, but only a third of the extra money that will be raised will go to rural roads and bridges.
“To say to rural Iowa that this 10 cent increase is going to fix your bridges and roads is just simply not true,” Zaun said during Senate debate Tuesday.
Others, like Representative Mary Gaskill, a Democrat from Ottumwa, argue the financial impact will be felt most by the “poorest of the poor” who often drive long distances to work at low-paying jobs.
