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Iowa lawmakers considering 10-cent gas tax hike

At a time when gas prices are so low, Iowa lawmakers are considering a gas tax hike. “Now that it’s low, conveniently they want to pop the tax up,&#...

At a time when gas prices are so low, Iowa lawmakers are considering a gas tax hike.

"Now that it's low, conveniently they want to pop the tax up," said Iowa driver Robert Kasch.

Currently in Iowa, gas taxes range from 19 cents to 22.5 cents depending on the type of fuel, but bills are being drafted to increase that by ten cents.

"I've been working on you know getting bipartisan support. We're trying to get leadership in all four caucuses to support it," said Iowa State Senator Tod Bowman.

The last gas tax increase was in 1989, according to Bowman. And since then, Bowman says people have continued to drive the same amount of miles, but it costs more to fix roads and bridges. As a result, he says there will be an annual $215 million funding gap to cover repairs.

"It's kind of like taking your house, when the shingles go bad you have a major decision to make, you can let it go or you can look at how you're going to fix and maintain your house and so that's kind of the point where we're at," said Bowman.

"I do believe that we need to work on our roads and especially the bridges, especially since they had the Minnesota deal they could probably go about it a different way," said Kasch.

Iowans for Tax Relief, a group based in Muscatine, thinks so, too. The group says they will fight the tax increase, saying the State has plenty of money to do the work.

"I think it's perspective. We did have a surplus and a lot of people think we're flushed with money but most of those dollars are already committed," said Bowman.

"Overall it's a good thing. Whether or not a ten cent hike is a good idea or something in between and half the money from somewhere else might be a better idea, I don't know, but I do think we need to come up with a solution somehow," said Casey Kuhl.

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