Senate Transportation Panel Passes Speaker’s Road Bill, Maybe

HB 1902 by House Speaker Robert Moore (D-Arkansas City) was voted out of a Senate Transportation Committee this afternoon, but not without controversy.

The measure, which would allow voters to decide a 5-cent diesel fuel tax increase for interstate construction and repairs, passed on a voice vote with approval by Chairman Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock).

According to several sources in the committee room, there were only four Senators in the meeting – not enough to secure a 5-vote passage. The bill already faced a steep uphill battle in that 5 Republicans sat on the panel and have expressed concerns with the potential tax hike provision.

Committee member State Sen. Jake Files (R-Fort Smith), who has questioned a number of aspects of the bill, was not in the meeting room and said the bill’s airing was not expected today.

"We were told that the bill would not run today," Files tells Talk Business. "We question whether or not there were enough votes in there to pass the bill out."

Files said he and other committee members were preparing amendments to the Speaker’s measure that included limiting the tax hike try to one election cycle, not unlimited attempts as the bill is written. Another amendment would have provided relief for agricultural interests that Files contends have more problems addressing gas price hikes in their commodities.

"We were working in good faith on some amendments we thought would make the bill a better bill," Files said.

He stopped short of saying today’s actions were orchestrated and said he’s not sure what will happen next.

It certainly isn’t the final chapter for the measure.