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State Rep. Sara Walsh (R-Ashland) speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 18, 2022 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Legislation to repeal Missouri’s gas tax increase has some bipartisan support

State Rep. Sara Walsh (R-Ashland) speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 18, 2022 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

A mid-Missouri lawmaker’s bill to repeal the state’s gas tax increase has the support of the House government oversight committee’s GOP chairman and the committee’s top Democrat.

State Rep. Sara Walsh (R-Ashland) testified before the committee on Tuesday, saying obtaining a rebate on the gas tax increase is complex.

“A mother basically testified, she’s like, if the gas pump is out of paper, in order for her to go in she can’t just abandon her kids and leave them in the car. So she got to take them out of a five point seatbelt, get them all out of that, a car seat, haul them to wait in a long line to get basically a copy,” Walsh says.

The committee’s ranking Democrat, State Rep. Raychel Proudie (D-Ferguson), says Missouri will receive $7.5 billion under the federal infrastructure bill signed by President Biden. Proudie announced her support for Walsh’s House Bill 1594 during Tuesday’s hearing.

“This is a unique opportunity for us to get money back into the pockets of Missourians who absolutely need a break right now. Absolutely need a break,” says Proudie.

Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight chairman Jered Taylor (R-Nixa) also supports the Walsh bill.

Taylor and Walsh say Missouri’s 2021 gas tax increase should have gone to a statewide vote.

Supporters of the gas tax increase note it was Missouri’s first gas tax increase since 1996. Lawmakers increased the state’s gas tax by 2.5 cents per gallon for five years, for a total of 12 cents.

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