Gov. Tim Pawlenty is willing to retreat from his firm opposition to a state gas tax increase in the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse and approve a transportation funding bill during a possible special session, a spokesman said Friday.
The state’s gas tax has been at 20 cents per gallon since 1988. Attempts to raise it in 2005 and earlier this year ran into Pawlenty vetoes.
“We’re willing to consider all options, including a gas tax,” said Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung.
When pressed, McClung said Pawlenty would sign a bill with a gas tax as long as legislators accept some of his ideas for funding roads and bridges.
After meeting Friday with the Republican governor, Minnesota’s legislative leaders began putting lawmakers on standby for a post-Labor Day special session. Pawlenty said in an interview earlier Friday that he would likely summon lawmaker to St. Paul to respond to the bridge disaster.
No date has been set and the details of emergency legislation still have to be worked out.
