Hartford Courant reports that the February 27 Transportation Committee hearing on highway tolls featured “[a] long line of speakers [who] agreed the transportation network needs plenty of improvements, but virtually nobody — not truckers, commuters, border-town residents or others — [who] is interested in paying more. Lobbyists and lawmakers dominated the debate, but one resident . . . showed up to endorse tolls.” The article adds, “The committee will decide in March whether to advance a toll proposal to the full General Assembly. Some Democrats endorse the idea, but others — and the vast majority of Republicans — have been leaning against it.”
WTNH reports, “What seems to be gaining traction among some lawmakers is a plan to reduce the ‘Gas Tax’ and allow commuters an ‘Income Tax‘ credit for the amount they spend on tolls for commuting to work. ‘Maybe we should get rid of the ‘Gas Tax‘ all together and look at tolls as a source of revenue for the future,’” a local official tells the station.