A state lawmaker says a return to gas tax indexing might be a good idea.
State Representative Terese Berceau (D-Madison) says its unlikely Governor Doyle's plan to tax oil companies and prevent them from passing the cost on to motorists will work. She says it was a mistake to end indexing and an automatic increase in the gas tax each year, and wants lawmakers to consider returning to that system.
Berceau says the old system provided a pot of money that could be used to maintain roads. She says many Wisconsinites don't like having to deal with road systems that aren't maintained properly.
Governor Doyle signed a bill ending indexing a year and a half ago. He's pushing for the oil tax to fund transportation projects. Berceau says it likely would result in higher pump prices. She says it would be a "double whammy" for motorists and taxpayers.