It looks like we could be paying more at the pump, one way or another.
Governor Doyle originally proposed a franchise fee on oil companies, which critics said will just be passed on to consumers. Now the governor would apparently accept a three-cent hike in the gas tax.
State Representative Spencer Black says others at the Capitol want to revert to the gas tax indexing system. However, the Madison Democrat says that appears to be a long shot because the proposal is so unpopular.
The Legislature's Finance Committee is hoping to complete action on the governor's budget bill soon, and some form of a gas tax hike is expected to be a part of the package.
Regardless of what lawmakers do, Black says they need to be upfront with the public about who will be paying the extra costs.