GOV. Jay Inslee signed the Connecting Washington transportation plan into law on July 15. With the largest gas-tax increase in state history comes new projects, opportunities, jobs and a brighter spotlight on the governor’s embattled Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
For the House Republican Caucus, which includes 47 state representatives from throughout Washington, this was a tough issue. We ultimately had to weigh two competing sets of facts.
First, we understand our state has maintenance and infrastructure needs, and a new transportation plan would benefit many communities and our economy.
On the other hand, we know raising the gas tax by nearly 12 cents a gallon will be hard on many working families.