Kansas State Director of Americans for Prosperity comments on potential gas tax hike

Earlier this week, Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce released an updated state-by-state analysis of the impact a 25-cent per gallon federal gas tax hike would have on Americans and virtually every aspect of the economy.

“It’s going to cost the average Kansas household about $276 more per year,” said AFP-KS State Director Jeff Glendening. “There’s a current proposal going around Washington D.C. right now that would more than double the federal tax on both gasoline and diesel. Take what you pay right now and add another quarter for every gallon that you purchase.”

People in Kansas are familiar with the state’s usage of dedicated road money for other budget priorities. This happens at the federal level, too, according to Glendening.

“There’s a large chunk of the highway trust fund, that’s the dollars out of the gas tax that we pay that go to funding the  federal highway programs, they go to other things, other than its namesake. They don’t go to highways. You’re talking about mass transit projects in New York City that are costing $3.5 billion a mile. Things like that, things like a squirrel refuge, or driving simulators. A large chunk of that money is not going to highways. It’s going to those projects.”

There’s still a long way to go before we know if a quarter a gallon is the final consequence.

“It’s really in the early stages of planning a new infrastructure plan,” said Glendening. “We haven’t even seen a plan yet. We know that there’s plans in development, but they’re not out there. They’re already talking about that 25 cent tax hike.”

Kansas legislators can shape this policy, as 3rd District Representative Sharice Davids sits on the Highway and Transit
Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, and 4th District Representative Ron Estes sits on the House Ways and Means Committee.