As part of the the budget wrangling going on in Olympia, Governor Inslee has been pushing for the passage of a transportation revenue package. While we already have a transportation budget in place, there has been talk for a long time of creating a package aimed at creating new funding for much needed maintenance, as well as new projects.
Yesterday House Democrats unveiled a $10 billion package that includes a 10.5-cent increase in the gas tax, with 6 cents of the increase taking effect on August 1. The proposal also includes $3.2 billion for several state road projects, including State Road 167, Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass and a replacement bridge that would extend Interstate 5 over the Columbia River. It also includes more than $1 billion for maintenance of highways and bridges.
So what happens next? The Oregonian has the latest on both budget and transportation package negotiations.