Senate passes $16B transportation bill that will raise gas taxes by 11.9 cents over 2 years



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Senate passed and sent the House a $16.1 billion transportation revenue package Monday night that includes an 11.9-cent gas tax increase that would be phased in over two years.

The chamber passed the revenue bill on a 39-9 vote Monday night. The House planned to take up the bill Tuesday.

Details on the 16-year package were released Monday afternoon, a day after House and Senate transportation leaders said they had reached a bipartisan agreement after months of negotiations.The plan would increase the gas tax in two stages: a 7-cent increase on Aug. 1, and a 4.9-cent increase on July 1, 2016.

The headway in negotiations between the chambers came after Gov. Jay Inslee said he would sign any ultimate deal between the two chambers, even if it includes language that Inslee opposed related to a low-carbon fuel standard, which had been a major point of contention in the negotiations.