Senate Approves Bill To Ensure Fuel Taxes Are Spent on Transportation

Legislation by Sen. Daisy Lawler to ensure motor fuel taxes are spent on transportation needs was approved unanimously by the Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 1028, by Lawler, D-Comanche, would redirect the 1.625 percent of gasoline taxes and 1.39 percent of diesel taxes that are currently deposited in the state’s General Revenue Fund into the State Transportation Fund. The change would provide more than $7 million additional dollars for roads and bridges.

“I believe that’s what the public wants when they pay those taxes,” said Lawler. “Under my bill, all of those funds will go toward transportation improvements.”

Though the majority of fuel tax dollars are already deposited into various transportation funds, SB 1028 would make sure that the tax monies Oklahomans spend to use roads and bridges in the state is reinvested in the transportation infrastructure. And with the billion-dollar backlog of needs that has been identified by
the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, every dollar helps.

“Transportation officials were just delighted with the bill,” said Lawler. “In my district, we just had a small bridge replaced and it cost over $1 million. Seven million dollars would replace a few more bridges. And that’s especially important in rural areas.”

SB 1028 will next be heard in committee in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.