Transportation chairman Sen. Simmons, Rep. Busby eyeing small gas tax increase

Legislators talk gas tax increase to repair roads, bridges

The joint House-Senate committee heard a presentation from the Mississippi Economic Council Thursday that called for $375 million a year to meet the repair needs. The committee heard from state transportation head Melinda McGrath earlier this month. She called for $526 million more a year to repair more than one-third of highways and nearly one-fourth of bridges in the state.

Committee Chairmen Willie Simmons of Cleveland and Charles Busby of Pascagoula say that a small tax increase outweighs the costs of doing nothing to repair the roads.

Gulflive
2/25/16