Brief Description: Funding transportation projects.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen and Swecker).

Senate Committee on Transportation

Background: The biennial transportation budget is supported by fuel tax revenues as well as various license, permit, and fee revenues. To support the current, proposed biennial spending plan, additional revenue is required.

Summary: Fuel Taxes. The state fuel tax is raised 3 cents July 1, 2005, 3 cents July 1, 2006, 2 cents July 1, 2007, and 1.5 cents July 1, 2008 for a total increase over four years of 9.5 cents.

Weight Fees. A weight fee is levied on vehicles that do not currently pay a weight fee to account for their impact on roadways. Affected vehicles include passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, light trucks, and motor homes. Annual vehicle weight fees for passenger vehicles are set at $10 for vehicles up to 4,000 pounds, $20 for vehicles between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds, and $30 dollars for vehicles weighing between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds. Light trucks used for farm purposes are exempted from the weight fee. Motor homes are charged an annual flat fee of $75.
Licenses and Permits. Certain Department of Licensing fees are adjusted to recover the cost of issuing various licenses and permits. Revenues that currently subsidize those costs are reallocated in the new expenditure package.

License fees on small, personal use trailers are lowered from $30 to $15 annually.

A new class of more flexible farm trip permit is also created.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      26   22
House      54   43

Effective:   July 1, 2005 (Sections 101-107, 109, 303-310, and 401)
         July 24, 2005
         January 1, 2006 (Sections 201-206)
         July 1, 2006 (Section 110)