Hanger supports gas tax ... Obenshain opposed

Today's Harrisonburg Daily News Record has more on Friday's vote to increase the gas tax for one cent per gallon for each of five years:

Two Shenandoah Valley senators were on opposing sides Friday when the Senate voted to raise Virginia's gasoline tax by a penny per gallon in each of the next five years.

While Sen. Hanger voted for the gas tax increase, Sen. Obenshain voted against it at a time when he proposed the Commonwealth cut spending:

Obenshain said he opposed the tax increase because the state is claiming poverty because of declining revenue projections to support the proposed biennial budget while seeking new spending.

Instead of raising taxes, he said, the state should be looking at ways to cut proposed new spending, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's reconstituted and expanded pre-kindergarten program.

Sen. Obenshain expressed doubt about the increased revenue from the gas tax actually being used for transportation needs.

Senator Obenshain said, "Virginia families are already doing enough."

The DNR continued:

The proposal to increase the state gasoline tax, Obenshain noted, comes after the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission proposed Congress triple the federal gasoline tax from 18.4 cents per gallon to nearly 60 cents per gallon over five years.

"This is a typical big government solution to real problems - raise taxes and give failing bureaucrats more money to waste," he said in a prepared statement.

Obenshain called on Kaine to reject Saslaw's proposal. Kaine has said that his budget plans do not include raising taxes.

"He should not stand idly by as his allies in the Senate demand that Virginia families cut back their already tight budgets to pay for an ever-expanding state bureaucracy," Obenshain said in a prepared statement. [emphasis added]

Thank you, Senator Obenshain.

Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com