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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's new House speaker says lawmakers have a full plate in store as the 2015 legislative session begins.
Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, told Utah's Morning News on KSL NewsRadio, "We have a lot of big, big issues in front of us this year."
Those "big, big issues" include expanding Medicaid, transportation funding and public education, which is the biggest part of the state budget.
Hughes said he is not necessarily a proponent of increased gas taxes.
"I think it's just lazy policy-making when we say, Let's just raise the taxes,'" Hughes said. "I don't think that the House of Representatives is interested in a tax increase. I think what we've been talking about ... is looking at the formula that we use to pay for the infrastructure, and the needed increase in infrastructure for the capacity and the population that's growing."
"We've got a unit tax of 24 cents a gallon, that faces declines in its buying power every year," Hughes continued. "And if you're a growing population, and your roads are facing more wear and tear, and you need more roads or wider roads or you need more infrastructure, having your gas tax or your fuel tax lose money every single year, it's not a good formula."
"But I don't know that you need to raise taxes. I think you need to look at the formula and restructure it in a way where it at least keeps pace with inflation and grows as the dollar grows," he said.
Two of the proposals before lawmakers include either an increase of 10 cents in the flat gas tax rate, to 34.5 cents per gallon, or a 10 percent tax instead of the cent-per-gallon rate.
Drivers like John Starkie of Taylorsville said they see the bottom line.
"I enjoy driving instead of walking, [but] gas is a necessity for me, so the price doesn't really matter," Starkie said.
Driver Zach Archuletta said lawmakers will have to answer clear questions.
"What is the revenue it's going to take in, based on how much are people using gas?" asked Archuletta. "Then, what's going to be the difference between a percentage-based and a flat raise?"
UDOT wants the extra money to cover a projected $11.3 billion maintenance hole by 2040.
Contributing: Randall Jeppesen.
