=HELENA — In June of last year, Missoula County voters narrowly agreed on a 2 cent per gallon gas tax to help pay for infrastructure projects. Now, lawmakers are advancing a bill that would overturn that decision and remove the option for other local governments to tax gas sales with voter approval.
Rep. Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula, said her district was an ideal testing ground for “wacky” ideas like the local-option gas tax, which lawmakers passed in 1979.
“Missoula County — being such that we are, unafraid to try wacky things — we did it,” Marler said
Missoula’s gas tax has only been in effect since September, and is projected to produce $1.2 million in revenue for infrastructure projects — money which Missoula city and county officials say would otherwise have to come from property taxes.
The House of Representatives gave House Bill 464preliminary approval Tuesday on a 67-33 vote, with most Republicans voting for it and most Democrats voting against.
Rep. Geraldine Custer, R-Forsyth, said that while she doesn’t support the local-option gas tax, it’s too late to withdraw it now that Missoula has passed one.
“So this is unfair to them, so I’m going to be a no on this one because this is a state government telling local government what they can do and this is total overreach,” Custer said.
Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell agreed with that sentiment.
“I don’t want to try to stand up and defend it,” Garner said. “But I also don’t want to be Lucy, where I move the football right before Charlie kicks it.”
Garner was the sponsor of the 2017 statewide gas tax.
Rep. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell sponsored the bill, and said the local option gas tax makes no sense.
“We’re all in agreement that this is wacky, and here’s your chance to repeal wacky,” Regier said.
The bill has one more vote in the House before it moves to the Senate.
James Bradley is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. james22bradley@gmail.com twitter.com/jayx15a
