Small business owners dodge 25-cent-per gallon increase
Talk of a gas tax hike in New Jersey appears to finally be over.
As the state’s Transportation Trust Fund continues to hemorrhage cash, state lawmakers had continued to debate raising the state’s gas tax. But in March, the lawmakers who sponsored legislation to raise the gas tax as much as 25 cents per gallon have pulled their support for the proposals.
“As of right now, it’s not going to happen,” Sen. Raymond Lesniak told NJ.com in late March. Lesniak had championed a proposal that would have doubled the 14.5-cents-per-gallon gas tax to fund state road, rail and bridge projects. And Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who had proposed a bill that would increase the tax by 25 cents a gallon, also told NJ.com that his bill would die in committee.
Governor Chris Christie plans borrow up to $600 million to replenish the fund.
