Governor, Lawmakers Seek Roads Deal As Clock Ticks Down

Last updated on Monday, March 7, 2016

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Elected officials don’t like talking about tax increases in an election year. Yet a proposed hike is part of negotiations between Gov. Mike Pence and the GOP-dominated Legislature over how to improve Indiana’s infrastructure.

House Speaker Brian Bosma wants to raise the price of a pack of cigarettes by $1, while hiking the state's 18-cent gas tax by 4 pennies per gallon. He says the plan would address the state's long-term needs by creating a new funding source.

But the Republican governor and GOP Senate leader David Long are vehemently opposed to any tax increase. Pence is up for re-election this fall.

Time is running out. Only days are left in this year's legislative session and lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on how to fund the infrastructure repairs.

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