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House Speaker Beth Harwell’s plan for fixing Tennessee roads differs from Gov. Bill Haslam’s

Ahead of Gov. Bill Haslam's promised statewide road trip to beat the drums for more highway funds, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell says the state should spend $400 in excess revenue available now on much-needed road work.
Ahead of Gov. Bill Haslam's promised statewide road trip to beat the drums for more highway funds, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell says the state should spend $400 in excess revenue available now on much-needed road work. Ahead of Gov. Bill Haslam's promised statewide road trip to beat the drums for more highway funds, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell says the state should spend $400 in excess revenue available now on much-needed road work.

By Andy Sher 6 min read

NASHVILLE – As Republican Gov. Bill Haslam seeks to lay the groundwork for new transportation funding, one of his staunchest and most powerful GOP allies in the Legislature, House Speaker Beth Harwell, is steering toward a possible detour around any would-be tax hike.

Noting that Tennessee revenue collections have improved to the point of the state having a nearly half-billion-dollar surplus, Harwell said she believes some $400 million of the one-time money could be used for road projects.

“As we consider how to best serve the taxpayers, I believe we should consider using a significant portion of this one-time money to fund these projects,” Harwell said last week in a statement.

The speaker said Tennessee is “fortunate to be a ‘pay-as-we-go’ state, meaning we do not go into debt for road projects. By utilizing this funding, we can continue that tradition of responsible fiscal management.”

photo House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, gestures at Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, in the House chamber in Nashville in this file photo.

Harwell’s comments are just one sign of resistance to any hike in fuel taxes, which many Republicans fear will go down with constituents about as well as anti-freeze in a gas tank.