As state legislators prepare to act on Governor Doyle's oil tax, there's a Republican charge that the plan is "dishonest." State Senator Glenn Grothman says consumers are smart enough to realize that trying to tax oil companies five cents a gallon will just mean they'll pay a higher price at the pump. He says the dishonesty almost bothers him more than the tax itself does.
The Governor maintains there will be criminal penalties for oil companies that try to pass on the cost to motorists at the pump. Grothman says that won't work, and believes the tax will just end up in an expensive legal battle if it's approved by lawmakers.
Doyle wants the tax to generate $270 million for state transportation projects. The Legislature's budget committee is expected to take up the issue on Thursday.