The Irrelevant Governor: Edwards’ Gas Tax Hike Fails

While Governor John Bel Edwards is a tax and spend liberal, he’s not a very effective one. Governor Edwards latest effort to increase the tax burden of hard working Louisianans was to increase the gas tax. Yesterday, the effort died quietly, without even a recorded vote:

“The five-month campaign to upgrade Louisiana’s jammed roads and bridges by raising the state gasoline tax died Wednesday with little fanfare in the Louisiana House. ‘We tried and we failed,’ state Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge and sponsor of the legislation told the House. Carter said all along that, without enough votes to pass his proposal – House Bill 632 – he would not push for a recorded vote. ‘I know we don’t have the votes,’ he said.”

The push for an increase in the gas tax started because of a tax force recommendation started by Governor Edwards. Adding to Edwards’ culpability for the failure, Shawn Wilson, his Secretary of Transportation, was a leading advocate for the tax hike:

“The latest push to boost state aid for transportation began in December, when a task force named by Gov. John Bel Edwards recommended a $700 million per year boost in road and bridge spending. Shawn Wilson, secretary for the state Department of Transportation and Development, helped lead the push to raise the gasoline tax for the past five months.”

Earlier this week it was revealed that Edwards was responsible for the single largest tax hike of 2016. Thankfully for Louisiana tax payers, Edwards’ 2017 agenda is being stymied completely.