Our Voice: Lawmakers make right choice supporting gas tax

Voting in favor of a significant tax hike is not easy for lawmakers from conservative legislative districts.

So the Mid-Columbia legislators who approved an 11.9-cent gas tax increase should be commended for having the courage to make the right decision, even though it likely is an unpopular one with many of their anti-tax constituents.

The $16 billion transportation plan approved by the House and Senate calls for a 7-cent gas tax increase beginning Aug. 1, followed by 4.9 cents more in July 2016.

While no one enjoys paying more for fuel, the good news is that the Mid-Columbia stands to benefit from more than $100 million in road and bridge projects that are desperately needed.

Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, said the transportation package likely would have passed with few projects in the area if no local legislators had supported it.

So it is a good thing they did.

In addition to Brown, other Eastern Washington senators who supported the plan include Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and Sen. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. The Senate passed the bill 37-7.

On the House side, the bill was approved 54-44. Reps. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton, and Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla voted for it while Reps. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick; Joe Schmick, R-Colfax; Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy and Larry Haler, R-Richland, opposed it.

Haler said he intended to vote yes, but had been up working for 24 hours and hit the wrong button. While he could not change his vote, he submitted a note for the record stating his real intention, he said.

The transportation package will make some significant improvements around the Tri-Cities.

It includes $38 million for a Duportail Street bridge over the Yakima River in Richland, which will connect the Queensgate area with the central part of the city.

A report released in April by The Road Improvement Program (TRIP), a transportation policy group based in Washington, D.C., reported the Duportail Street bridge would create $310 million in private investments in the Queensgate area and Richland downtown within 10 years, and would add nearly $200 million is sales and property tax revenue within 20 years.

Other projects that, once built, are expected to stimulate the economy by millions of dollars include $28.4 million for the Red Mountain interchange off Interstate 82 near West Richland, $26 million for the Lewis Street overpass in Pasco, and $21 million for a four-lane bridge at Highway 395 and Ridgeline Drive in Kennewick.

Another $168 million will go to widen Highway 12 between Pasco and Walla Walla. North Franklin County also gets $10 million for the Connell Rail Interchange.

Tax hikes are tough to take, but at least in this case the Tri-City area will get some benefit from the new revenue.

And that is thanks to several Mid-Columbia lawmakers who made the right, but tough, choice.

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Lawmakers make right choice supporting gas tax."