One issue that’s likely to come up again during this year’s legislative session is that of the gas tax here in Iowa.

During the first week of the 2014 session, the state House transportation committee proposed a three to four cent gas tax increase per gallon.

District 19 Representative Ralph Watts says he’s not convinced this increase would be worth it.

“Virtually all of the arguments we hear for raising the gas tax are for rural roads and bridges and some of the issues related to flooding and the rains we’ve had the last few years, and those are very valid issues.  But if we raise the gas tax only 20 cents from every dollar goes to that rural fund.  So I’m not sure that raising the gas tax is the most efficient way to get monies to get monies to that rural constituency that has the most need” says Watts.

Though Watts notes that at this point he doesn’t feel the increase will be passed through the legislature.

“I’m not convinced there’s enough support in the house to do that and the Senate transportation chair has already mentioned he doesn’t have enough votes in the Senate to pass it.  So time will tell.”

We will continue to get updates from our local lawmakers regularly during this year’s legislative session.