Governor DeWine wants lawmakers to put the brakes on a proposal to halt the collection of Ohio's newly increased taxes on gas and diesel fuel.
The Republican governor and GOP lawmakers to boost Ohio's tax on gas by 10.5 cents a gallon and the tax on diesel fuel by 19 cents to help maintain deteriorating roads and bridges. Ohioans now pay a state tax rate of 38.5 cents per gallon on gas and 47 cents a gallon on diesel fuel.
State Sen. Steve Huffman, a Tipp City Republican, has introduced a bill reducing both the gas and diesel tax to 28 cents per gallon, a proposal coming as Ohio prepares to receive millions in federal infrastructure improvement dollars.
But DeWine said halting the new gas tax now would be a mistake. 鈥淚nfrastructure is vitally important to the economic development of the state and the creation of jobs,鈥� he told Gongwer News Service.
As one example, the governor cited , which carries traffic over the Ohio River and connects Cincinnati with Northern Kentucky.
