Silver State ponders whopping diesel tax hike
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Gambling isn’t the only way to go broke in Nevada. Filling up fuel tanks in the state is about to hurt truckers in their pockets too.
Sen. Bob Coffin has been trying to raise diesel taxes and transport fees aimed at truckers for years. Now as chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee, he’s getting his chance, reports the Las Vegas Sun.
His philosophy on road maintenance? "You break it, you buy it."
The Senator will be hearing testimony today on a 12-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel. He’ll also push for a study of what’s called a weight-distance tax, aimed squarely at long-haulers, the paper reports.
Coffin cites a government study that shows car drivers pay disproportionately more in fuel taxes than truckers for the amount of miles they drive — a claim that the Nevada Trucking Association strongly disputes.
Currently, just four states have a weight-distance tax. And 15 states have higher diesel fuel taxes than Nevada’s, though, states The Sun, a 12-cent hike would move The Silver State near the top.
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