NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam’s gas tax, the state of California and more legislation kept Southeast Tennessee lawmakers jumping during this year’s General Assembly.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the legislation passed during the 2017 session:
* IMPROVE Act: Two major and intertwining issues dominated local lawmakers and their colleagues for most of the session. That was the state budget which had huge surpluses in one-time and recurring revenue and Haslam’s effort to raise gas and diesel taxes for roads for the first time in 28 years.
The result was the IMPROVE Act. It raised gas and diesel taxes by six cents and 10 cents over a three-year time period for the dedicated highway fund.
At the same time it cuts more in other taxes, including cutting the state’s sales tax on groceries by 20 percent, with reductions in franchise and excise taxes for manufacturers and the continued phasing out of the Hall Tax on stock and interest earnings.