By Jason Isaac – State Representative House District 45
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – As the Texas Legislature begins yet another special session on transportation funding, you may be wondering, “What’s the hold up?”
We can all agree that transportation is crucial. It has a major impact on our economy, as well as on our individual daily lives. Texas’ population is continuing to grow at record rates, and we must provide adequate funding for transportation infrastructure in order to keep our roads safe and to keep Texans moving. To me, this is a core function of our state government.
This session, we were fortunate to have a significant surplus, and our total spending grew as much as 26%. 26%! Yet, hardly any of that additional money from general revenue went towards transportation. During the regular session, we were unsuccessful in ending fuel tax diversions (money that is collected specifically for transportation needs, but instead is spent in other areas) or make transportation funding a priority in our spending. Instead, the only option that was brought to the floor for debate consisted of a significant increase in vehicle registration fees. We are fortunate that this proposed increase was overwhelmingly opposed by members of both parties.
I want to reiterate that I will not vote for any transportation bill that increases fuel taxes or vehicle registration fees, especially at a time when the state already has the excess revenue to address the issue with existing funds. Further increasing the financial burden on taxpayers should not be an option. I remain dedicated to seeing our transportation funding increased through responsible and sustainable means.
It’s unacceptable to ask taxpayers to foot yet another bill for the same road services that they are already paying for through a seemingly endless list of fees and taxes. It’s irresponsible to largely ignore this pressing issue and then turn around and ask the taxpayers to fix it for us.
During the first two special special sessions, the “solutions” have mostly centered around a tax diversion swap, involving both gas tax funds and education funds through the Rainy Day Fund. Both Republicans and Democrats have opposed these proposals for a variety of reasons, including the long-term affects on our critical Rainy Day Fund balance as well as on our available education dollars.
This special session, the Legislature seems more open to pursuing other options. We are expected to vote on bills that will dedicate a portion of our oil and gas tax revenues to the State Highway Fund, preserve the Rainy Day Fund, avoid any impact on school funding, and reduce TXDOT’s current debt through efficiency savings. I plan to support these proposals, which, if passed, will go a long way to addressing our transportation needs.
I also filed two bills that would help to responsibly address the problem, both which would dedicate a portion of the existing sales tax on vehicles to the State Highway Fund. Currently, we depend greatly on the gas tax, which is included in what you pay at the pump, to fund our highways. But, with the rise of more fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as hybrid and electric cars, these funds are not meeting demand. All vehicles, regardless of how much gas they consume, use the roads and contribute to their wear and tear over the years. Using a more dependable source, such as sales tax, in addition to the gas tax, would help to solve our funding issues in an equitable way, without increasing the burden to taxpayers. I stand firm in my belief that the State of Texas has enough of your money; we just need to do a better job spending it.
I will continue to advocate for responsible and sustainable ways to fund our transportation needs throughout our third (and hopefully final) special session.
