The 2015 long session did not disappoint, because it was definitely long. Lawmakers tackled many issues including Medicaid reform, teacher pay, and tax changes. But one major issue that many took interest was the change to the gas tax. If you don’t remember, the gas tax earlier this year was 37.5¢ per gallon and the new legislation dropped it immediately to 36¢, which is technically a decrease in the rate of 1.5¢. What lawmakers didn’t tell you is that the without the new law, the gas tax would have dropped to 29-28¢ in July due to falling gasoline prices and they couldn’t afford the lost revenue.
Some lawmakers are touting their accomplishments of the 2015 long session, and in the list I saw where they are saying “Cut and froze the gas tax to provide much-needed funding stability to ensure the state can continue to build and maintain safe roads, bridges and economic corridors.” While I am in full support of maintaining roads, call it what it is – lawmakers raised the gas tax to fill a hole they had created by continually transferring money out of the highway fund for non-transportation expenditures.
Transportation for America is following every state in the country and what changes have been made to transportation revenues. This is what they say about North Carolina:
I encourage lawmakers to tout session accomplishments, it helps inform voters and also increases transparency. I was not a fan of this legislation and how it was messaged originally, and I am still not a fan of how lawmakers are not being completely honest with their constituents.
