Nebraska Legislature Overrides Gas Tax Veto

Phased in over four years, the state’s gas tax will increase a total of 6 cents by 2019.

May 18, 2015

LINCOLN – Last week, Nebraska state lawmakers overrode Gov. Pete Ricketts’s veto of a gas tax increase, reports the Omaha World-Herald. 

The gas tax will increase 1.5 cents on Jan. 1, 2016, and increase 1.5 cents every year after that on Jan. 1, for three more years, until the rate adds up to a 6-cent increase by 2019.

“The Legislature’s decision to raise the gas tax hurts hardworking Nebraskans who can least afford a tax hike,” Ricketts said in a statement, adding the state will have the 16th highest gas tax rate in the country.

The news source writes that the current Nebraska gas tax of 25.6 cents per gallon hasn’t been raised since 2008, adding that the estimated $75 million per year generated by the tax increase will be shared by the state, counties and cities for road repair and maintenance.

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