Issue Position: Infrastructure

Issue Position

Indiana, the "Crossroads of America," needs superior state and local streets, highways, and bridges. It was a surprise to me and most other Hoosiers to find that nearly all of the 7% state sales tax on gas did NOT go toward maintaining or repairing our transportation infrastructure, and what you pay at the gas pump mostly goes toward other projects. The General Assembly made good progress last year by passing a bipartisan bill aimed at repairing Indiana's crumbling roads and bridges through a combination of dedicating more of the gas sales tax, a portion of Major Moves and tax amnesty funds, and a portion of the state's $2 billion plus surplus to infrastructure. The bill provides two years of funding for state and local infrastructure without raising taxes. Before passing the bill, 1% of gas sales tax was directed toward highway funding; passage of the bill means that now, 2½% of every 7 cents of sales tax collected from gas sales goes towards both state and local roads. We need to maintain that momentum and build upon this success to keep the Crossroads of America safe and smooth.

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