Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is standing in opposition to a push that would see the state’s 18-cents-a-gallon gas tax double in cost.

“You know what my feelings are about taxes,” Ducey recently told Tucson.com in rejecting a proposal crafted by House Transportation Committee head Rep. Noel Campbell (R-Prescott).

Campbell argues the state hasn’t seen a change to the rate in almost two decades and the estimated $750 million it currently generates from such tax revenues simply isn’t enough to do the job, particularly when it comes to the job of maintaining and building new roads.

“A tax dollar in 1991 is worth 47 cents today,” he added.

Through all the rhetoric and posturing, Ducey has been unmoved. He argues a project now underway where 23 miles of interstate will be added between Anthem and Sunset Point north of Phoenix and the state’s ability to fund its $130 million share of the project prove that the state’s finances are strong enough.

Besides Ducey’s signature, raising the gas tax would require a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate.

Now in his fourth year as governor, Ducey won re-election in 2018 over Democrat David Garcia in a three-way race with 56 percent of the vote.