State Net Capitol Journal Legislative Updates: States'
Transportation Funding Needs Trumping Tax Aversion  STATES'
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING NEEDS TRUMPING TAX AVERSION: This month
Virginia's Republican-controlled House and GOP-Democrat-split
Senate gave final approval to a $6 billion transportation
funding overhaul proposed by the state's Republican Gov. Bob
McDonnell that included, among other things, a new 3.5 percent
sales tax on gasoline and a 6 percent tax on diesel fuel. That
action highlights a developing trend across the country: States
- even some controlled by usually tax-averse Republicans - are
opting to increase gas taxes and other fees to provide funding
for transportation projects.  Nineteen states have either
already enacted or are considering tax and other fee changes to
boost transportation budgets, according to the National
Conference of State Legislatures. In March, Maryland lawmakers
passed Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) plan to raise state gas taxes
13 to 20 cents per gallon by 2016, which wou