Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2008-07-14)
OKLAHOMA CITY
(KOSU) -
An Oklahoma senator warns that the high cost of gasoline and a shift to more fuel-efficient cars may lead to a shortfall in the federal fund that pays for road and bridge construction.Senator Jim Inhofe told The Oklahoman's Washington bureau that the Highway Trust Fund may see a $4 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year. The fund is made up of federal gas taxes, so
when less gas is sold, less tax money goes into the fund.
Inhofe says the shortfall could mean $172 million less than what was promised to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation under the 2005 highway bill.
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to shift $8 billion from general spending into the Highway Trust
Fund, but the House has been reluctant to follow suit.
Inhofe was a lead author of the 2005 highway bill, which some lawmakers say overestimated how much money the trust fund would collect and over-committed money to the states.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) © Copyright 2012, KOSU
