This New Louisiana Bill Would Add a ‘Gas Tax’ to Electric Vehicles

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It's no secret that Louisiana's roads are terrible, and are in dire need of some tender, lovin' care.  Unfortunately, the kind of love required to bring our bombed-out excuses for car paths is expensive.

Since that money has to come from somewhere, 32-years ago Louisiana instituted a gas tax.  That's an extra $0.20 added to each gallon of gas, compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas sold in the state.  That money goes directly to maintaining crumbling roads and bridges, which makes sense because everyone who is driving on the road is (in a way) responsible for keeping it up - right?  Wrong.

Recently, a rapidly expanding category of Louisiana driver has been making use of those same roads without paying the aforementioned tax:  The electric vehicle owner.  Both all-electric and hybrid drivers have been able to (to some degree) avoid having to pay this tax.  The hybrid drivers (who's cars are powered by electricity and an internal-combustion engine) may be able to hit the filling station much less often than traditional vehicles, but they still have to gas up.  When they do, they're paying the same $0.20 per gallon as the rest of us are.  The pure-electrics, however, have found a way to avoid it altogether.  If you never get gas, you never pay a gas tax - right?  Maybe not.

According to a report from KALB, a new bill making its way through the Louisiana government would charge both electric and hybrid owners a flat, yearly fee to make up for that loss in tax revenue.  Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Barbara Freiberg’s bill has just cleared the House Transportation Committee and will now make its way to the Louisiana House and Senate.  If it passes, it would require owners to submit a yearly payment of $110 for EVs (electric vehicles) or $60 for hybrids to the state.

The bill will reportedly require a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate because it would impose a new fee.