House leader: Mississippi road tax push dies amid opposition
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Unable to attract enough support from lawmakers, House leaders are giving up on a plan to increase money for roads through a series of tax changes.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Charles Busby, a Pascagoula Republican, said Friday that the push is dead for this year.
He says many representatives instead demanded money-saving efforts at the Mississippi Department of Transportation, which says it needs another $526 million a year to prevent deterioration of state highways and bridges.
Busby says House Speaker Philip Gunn is likely to appoint a committee to study the issue before the 2017 legislative session.
The Mississippi Economic Council, which wants lawmakers to increase funding by $375 million, is still pushing lawmakers to act this year, although executive vice president Scott Waller says that’s growing more unlikely.
