Route Fifty
By Daniel C. Vock FEBRUARY 23, 2022
To pay for a transportation package, Washington state lawmakers want to tax refined gasoline sent to other states. Neighboring states are talking about ways to retaliate if the plan goes through. The Washington state Legislature is on the cusp of passing a major infrastructure bill, but officials in other nearby states are crying foul over how the package would be paid for and preparing for retaliation if the bill becomes law. The governors of Alaska, Idaho and Oregon have all condemned a part of the bill that would raise $2 billion by taxing fuel that is refined in Washington but shipped to other states. It would amount to a 6-cent tax on every gallon sold, starting in 2023. The higher taxes would not apply to fuel sold in Washington state, but the fuel tax of 49.4 cents per gallon in Washington is among the highest in the nation. “Washington State is currently debating a tax that targets Alaska’s fuel costs. Their view of Alaska as a colony is reflected on a tax on all of us,” Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, wrote on Twitter.
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