Gov. Jim Doyle said earlier this week that a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax three cents is worthy of consideration, despite his 2006 campaign promises that he would not increase the tax while serving as governor.
The plan to raise the state’s gas tax was not included in the governor’s 2009-11 budget proposal. Instead, his budget includes a plan to tax oil companies in an effort to gain revenue to help fund the state’s roadways.
Currently, at 32.9 cents per gallon, Wisconsin has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation. The total tax on gas in the state is 51.3 cents when the federal tax of 18.4 cents a gallon is factored in.
However, Doyle spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner brushed off the comments the governor made Monday.
“The governor is supporting and has supported his oil assessment plan … that’s what he wants to see happen, which would have big oil companies pay for a share of the roads,” Sensenbrenner said.
According to Sensenbrenner, the governor has not changed his position in any way and was merely saying he appreciated that critics of the taxes on oil companies put forward an alternative plan rather than just saying “no” to the governor’s proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, is against raising any kind of taxes, spokesperson Kimberly Liedl said.
“The last thing we should be doing is raising taxes on people … the oil franchise tax would be passed on to consumers,” Liedl said of the governor’s plan as well as the alternative to raise the gas tax.
The Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association are also against the governor’s oil franchise tax. The WPMCSA instead is proposing the three cents per gallon increase on gas tax.
WPMCSA also wants to increase the vehicle title fee from $53 to $78, as well as an electric and a $50 annual surcharge on all plug-in hybrid vehicles to be paid annually with the registration fee.
According to a statement by the association, the gas tax increase would generate more revenue for the state than the governor’s proposal.
