TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey lawmakers are set to vote on an agreement between Democratic leaders and Republican Gov. Chris Christie to raise the state’s gas tax by 23 cents a gallon to pay for road, bridge and transit work.
The Assembly and Senate rescheduled a Wednesday vote for Friday on the deal that Christie reached with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and Senate President Steve Sweeney last week. The vote was rescheduled after lawmakers failed to get enough support to bypass a procedural vote.
If passed, the agreement would raise New Jersey’s gas tax – the second-lowest in the nation – from 14.5 cents to 37.5 cents a gallon. That would still be lower than neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, but higher than Alaska, which at 12.25 cents a gallon has the lowest gas tax in the country.
The deal would establish a $2 billion-a-year transportation trust fund over eight years and cut the sales and estate taxes, while also offering veterans and low-income residents tax credits, among other measures.
The legislation is up for a vote three months after the transportation trust fund expired and amid a shutdown of transportation projects ordered by Christie. Authority for the fund to pay for transportation work ran out without a deal in place to secure capital projects