Legislative leaders warn that the introduction of several rival proposals could sink efforts to begin addressing a $10 billion backlog of road and bridge projects in Tennessee.
The sticking point in Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s funding proposal is an increase to the fuel taxes drivers pay at the pump. Haslam argues that’s the fairest approach, because up to half of vehicles on Tennessee roads are from out of state.
But a group of House Republicans supports a rival proposal to instead dedicate a portion of sales tax collections to road funding, while the Americans for Prosperity wants to earmark $200 million from the general fund for the next decade.
In Senate Republican leader Mark Norris’ words: “If the game is to divide and conquer, then the game is over.”
