CULLMAN, Ala. – Local delegates Rep. Randall Shedd, Rep. Corey Harbison and Sen. Garlan Gudger were recently asked about pros and cons that would come from suspending the states 23 cent gas tax while war rages in Ukraine and inflation continuing.
Each were asked the following questions.
- With inflation ticking up and gas prices at an all-time high as the war rages in Ukraine, do you support a gas tax suspension? Please explain.
- What are the pros and cons of a gas tax suspension?
- What other measures could be put into action to ease the pain of inflation and higher pricing to residents?
- Anything you’d like to say or add that I did not ask, please feel free to add below.
Below are each delegates responses to the questions posed.
Rep. Corey Harbison, District 12
TCT: With inflation ticking up and gas prices at an all-time high as the war rages in Ukraine, do you support a gas tax suspension? Please explain.
“Multiple legislative acts have been passed over the years that make up the current fuel tax. It would take a legislative act to repeal them. I was a no vote when the legislature passed the last gas tax. It still passed with an overwhelming yes vote. It would take a major shift of opinion in the legislature to overturn the tax. I am open to considering anything that will help struggling Alabamians. I hope that the legislature can find some way to offer relief.”
TCT: What are the pros and cons of a gas tax suspension?
“I believe the most positive thing would be the money that people get to keep in their pocket. We have a lot of people that live in Cullman and commute to Birmingham or Huntsville, or even further, for work. It could make a significant difference for people who drive that many miles.
I believe the negative side is we already have terrible roads. Cullman County has more miles of roads than just about any other county in the state. The county could put every penny from every revenue source they have into a pot and that still wouldn’t be enough money to pave what needs to be paved. There are also federal dollars that come down as a match on fuel tax. We could be at risk of losing those match dollars if the gas tax is repealed.”
TCT: What other measures could be put into action to ease the pain of inflation and higher pricing to residents?
“I believe if we don’t repeal the tax, we should offer tax credits back for taxes paid by Alabama residents each year when we file taxes. This would allow the state to still capture revenue from out of state people coming in and using the infrastructure but help the citizens of our state.”
TCT: Is there anything you’d like to say or add that I did not ask, please feel free to add below.
“I appreciate the citizens of district 12 allowing me to serve them in Montgomery. I do my best to listen to everyone and vote according to how I believe the majority of you want. If there’s ever an issue coming to the legislature for consideration or if there’s something you’d like to see considered, I encourage you to reach out to me and let me know your thoughts. My cell number is 256-385-5510. I try to take calls and text.”
Rep. Randall Shedd, District 11
Rep. Shedd answered:
“A legislative proposal to repeal the 10 cent per gallon gas tax has been suggested by a candidate for Governor.
I think if you check records, you will find the candidate in question owned a toll bridge in South Alabama, which charged drivers $3.50 per car to drive on his bridge and currently is president of a company that develops private toll bridges in the southeast.
If he is proposing toll bridges instead of gas taxes to pay for highways and bridges, I can’t support that. I am opposed to toll roads and bridges in my district.
The price of gas is hurting us all now, no question. It does appear to be stabilizing and coming down, although slowly.
I think we can all agree, the high cost at the gas pump is a result of a combination of bad decisions by Joe Biden (Keystone Pipeline for example) and the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The public would need to consider the risks involved if we repealed the gas tax without replacing it with another source, such as tolls.
- The Rebuild Alabama Plan is just now reaching its revenue peak and we continue to see projects in our area. Just this past month Governor Ivey announced over $1/2 million in Rebuild Alabama Montgomery Money for my district for the New Canaan and Baileyton areas. We are working on projects for other areas across my district.
- Last fall, Governor Ivey approved a contract at my request for $5.2 million for a new bridge on U.S. Highway 278 west of Snead (Blount County is in my district) to replace a dangerous bridge that actually had large holes in it. (No toll will be required to drive across that new bridge that is currently under construction).
- I am told Cullman County actually receives more money back than we pay into Montgomery.
- A new federal infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress will provide substantial new federal revenue for Alabama highways and bridges, but the state will be required to match those funds. Eliminating the revenue currently coming from the gas tax would prevent Alabama from utilizing those federal dollars for roads and bridges. Or, some other sources of revenue would be required to get $4 of federal funding for $1 of state or local money.
- Now that we have four-laning of Highway 157 almost complete, (without it being a toll road) our focus is a new four-lane bridge on U.S. Highway 278 East at St. Bernard and four-laning as much as possible to Snead (all without being toll bridges or a toll road).
- Also, we are working on turn lanes and passing lane projects on Highway 69 from East Point to Arab.
- Suspending or repealing the gas tax would likely shut down the resurfacing and construction projects underway this paving season, causing further deterioration.
- Road and bridge construction costs are escalating too because a lot of the construction materials are petroleum based.
Repealing or suspending sounds great on the surface and I hope we can find a way to help the public in these times of runaway inflation, but we need to consider the risks and consider the unintended consequences.”
Sen. Garlan Gudger, District 4
Sen. Gudger answered the questions similarly, stating:
“Before President Trump left office in 2020, gas prices were approximately $2.00 per gallon. For the first time, the United States was energy independent, the Keystone Pipeline was on track to be completed, and we were drilling for oil on our own soil securing the United States’ energy independence into the foreseeable future. Now, the promise of energy independence has been washed away, inflation is on the rise, gas prices are out of control and our once secure economy has been turned upside down.
The United States is currently not energy independent. The Keystone Pipeline construction was halted by President Biden in January 2021, we have been stopped from fracking and drilling for oil, thus making makes us dependent on foreign oil/gas/diesel as our own prices at the pump skyrocket out of control for everyone in the United States.
As your state senator, I realize that the roads are being used more today than ever. More miles of roads are having to be maintained, and the cost of materials to resurface these roads is still rising. As in 2018, when I voted for a 10 cents/gallon of gas increase, the number one complaint from my constituents then is the same as today: We need better roads!
The bill stated that the gas tax money CANNOT be used for:
… ‘salaries, benefits, or any other form of compensation for employees or contractors: equipment: or vertical construction.’
The bill CAN be used for… ‘preserving, improving or maintaining transportation infrastructure, matching funds for federal road or bridge project, paying debt for road and bridge projects and performing joint projects with cities and/or counties.’
So where have the gas tax proceeds gone? Let’s look at a few of the projects:
• Hwy 157 4-lane
• Traffic light installed in Fairview
• Redesigned intersection at Hwy 31 and Olive Street
• Resurfacing of Hwy 91 from Dodge City to EMC Speedway
• Resurfacing and drainage on Commercial Street from Hwy 31 to Mud Creek in Hanceville
• Resurfaced asphalt on Main Street from Hwy 278 to the intersection at Wal-Mart Distribution/Applebee’s on Cherokee
• Currently received funding to restore road and bridges in New Cannon that were washed out by massive flooding
• Welcome Road resurfacing and striping from Baileyton to Fairview
• Resurfacing of Hwy 157 between West Point and Battleground
• Resurfacing SR-74 from SR-91 in Holly Pond to the east of the Bridge over the Black Warrior
• Resurfacing and traffic striping/ marking from CR1428 to CR1435
• And more…
What do all these projects have in common? They were all completed leveraging Rebuild Alabama money or as it is commonly called the ‘Gas Tax Money.’
I remember all of these projects, along with many more that I worked on directly with Rep. Randall Shedd to obtain and get funded. These projects were only allowed by ALDOT, because of our ‘yes’ votes in the legislature. In my first session as your state senator, after 14 years on the Cullman City Council, I was prepared to do my due diligence and research to fully understand what my ‘yes’ vote meant to my district. Knowing it was unpopular with some people, the hardest thing for me was knowing it was the right thing for the long term.
So, I took the negative Facebook comments, the people calling me names and accusations that I sold out to big government. I realized I had to do my job and focus on producing road projects in my district.
The projects I’ve worked on have brought $70,290,428 to Cullman County in just three-and-a-half years. That amount is well above the amount Cullman County has actually paid into the state in gas taxes during that same timeframe. As in any business, when you get a positive ‘rate of return’ on your investment, you made a wise choice. By calculating your expense versus your revenue, you can calculate the ‘rate of return.’ I have done just that. With the help of Rep. Randall Shedd, we have produced more money than it has cost Cullman County and because of that – I feel that have done my job.
Therefore, I do not support repealing or suspending the 10 cents increase. This would mean my District, including Cullman County, would lose millions of dollars that I have worked so hard to produce a positive rate of return for us all. It would be taking a step backward.”
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