Poll: Utah voters split on gas tax

Utah voters are almost evenly divided on the state’s decision to increase its gas tax to pay for transportation projects, according to a poll that was recently conducted. 

Utah state lawmakers voted in March to increase the 24.50-cents-per-gallon gas tax in the Beehive State by 5 cents starting next year. 

The poll, which was conducted by the UtahPolicy.com website, found that 49 percent of Utah voters support the gas tax increase, while 49 percent oppose the hike and 2 percent are undecided. 

{mosads}The new Utah fuel levy will be collected on top of an 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax that is charged to all drivers in the nation to fill the federal government’s transportation funding coffers. 

Lawmakers in Congress are currently facing a May 31 deadline for the expiration of federal transportation funding, and they are struggling to come up with a way to pay for an extension of the measure. 

Transportation advocates have pointed to the willingness of states like Utah to raise their own gas tax as evidence that a national hike would be politically palatable this year. 

Conservative groups in Washington have made clear that they would consider an increase in the federal fuel levy a tax hike, however.

The gas tax has been the main source of transportation funding for decades, but it has not been increased since 1993, sapping its buying power.

While the tax hike has backing from business associations and unions, opposition from conservative groups such as Heritage Action and the Club for Growth has caused GOP leaders in the House to suggest it is a non-starter.

The federal government typically spends about $50 billion per year on transportation projects, but the gas tax will only bring in $34 billion annually without an increase.