Wyoming lawmakers reject highway funding plan

CASPER, WY. (AP) — A state legislative panel has rejected the idea of creating a task force to look into potential, long-term funding solutions for Wyoming’s highway system.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation voted 8-5 Friday against the idea with opponents citing the proposal’s $140,000 cost and a lack of a perceived need.

The proposal stems from an early meeting of the committee where members were presented with a number of ideas intended to move Wyoming’s highway funding off of its existing fuel tax model.

In the era of fuel-efficient vehicles and heightened emissions standards, state Transportation Department Director Luke Reiner says funding the state’s highway system through fuel taxes alone is no longer a sustainable system.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com

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