The details of a transportation bill moving through the Minnesota House of Representatives appear to be changing from day to day, but the House Tax Committee on Monday will likely have a good amount of influence on the bill that reaches the full House.
The committee should be careful to pass a bill with a gas tax that can pass the full House with at least five Republicans voting for it. That will be enough to let the governor know his veto may not stand. It also may give the governor political cover on his no-new-taxes pledge if he lets it become law without his signature.
It’s what’s known in politics as a practical compromise. It would also be a perfect example of elected leaders actually getting something done for their constituents. The full House and Senate are also expected to vote on the bill this week.
The Democrat-controlled committee should avoid at all costs anything reeking of political maneuvering for the November elections. People are watching and they’re frustrated this hasn’t gotten done already. They will have little tolerance for politics as usual.
Given that caveat, the House has before it a bill that is good and probably could be better, but also can be modified to garner the veto-proof majority the House leaders need. They need at least five Republicans to vote for the bill. House Democratic leaders should try to secure those votes during the first vote, as members always become more skittish voting to override their own party’s governor.
As of late last week, the bill contained a 5 cent gas-tax bump, a 2.5 cent gas-tax “bond payment fee” that would be used to pay off highway bonds, a metro county 0.5 cent sales tax increase, and indexing the gas tax for inflation.
Most Democrats would like the bill passed as is. Republicans are balking at the 0.5 cent sales tax increase to pay for metro transit. They’re balking at indexing the gas tax for inflation. They may balk at attempts to raise the gas tax for bonding to a level over 2.5 cents.
Such interest groups as the Minnesota Chamber, representing business groups from many cities, including Mankato, and businesses across the state are on board with the gas tax increases of 5 cents and 2.5 cents for bonding. The chamber opposes indexing the gas tax.
It appears a transportation bill that gets the job done with the minimal gas taxes would still only provide partial funding — perhaps less than half — for the road repair and reconstruction needs in the state. That’s OK. At least it would get us started.
Indexing the gas tax at this time of economic downturn is probably not a good idea. It also risks dumping the good in search of the perfect. On the metro sales tax: It’s hard to understand why the state needs to implement this, if the authorization to impose sales taxes is just given to the counties themselves.
Again, the sales tax idea seems like it would threaten the bill’s passage, something that should be avoided at all costs.
All in all, the House Tax Committee on Monday has significant responsibility to move forward a transportation bill that garners the necessary Republican votes and can become law without the governor’s signature.
