Legislation that would have allowed counties to ask voters to raise gasoline taxes in their county by as much as 5 cents for specific local road projects never received floor debate in the 2017 regular session.

At the session’s end, SB386 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, awaited action by the full Senate. The House version, HB564 by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham, never made it out of the House Transportation Utilities and Infrastructure Committee.

Broader gas tax legislation was pulled from House consideration earlier in the session.

County commissions were to provide voters with a list of road and bridge projects to be paid for by the tax. Under the legislation, the gas tax increase could only last up to five years and couldn’t exceed 5 cents. The local road projects could be within municipalities in that county. According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, 27 counties and about 320 municipalities already have local gas taxes.

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