![Picture](/uploads/2/4/6/2/24627604/6969000.jpg?108)
One of the most significant issues facing the Iowa General Assembly began to move with the introduction of companion bills in the House and Senate to increase the state’s gas tax by 10 cents per gallon.
House Study Bill 129: assigned to House Transportation Committee (subcommittee consists of Rep. Byrnes, Rep. Cohoon, Rep. Lykam, Rep. Moore, and Rep. Worthan)
Senate Study Bill 1168: assigned to Senate Transportation Committee (subcommittee consists of Sen. Bowman, Sen. Dvorsky, and Sen. Kapucian)
The Senate began the process of moving the bill forward with an extremely well attended subcommittee on Wednesday. After more than an hour of testimony (most of it expressing support for the measure), all three members of the subcommittee approved the measure and moved it to the full Senate Transportation Committee.
This was following by action on Thursday in a House subcommittee when (after a repeat of the previous day’s testimony) all five members of the subcommittee approved the measure and move it to the full House Transportation Committee.
Expect full committee work to begin on these bills in their respective committees next week. Once approved at that level, both will need to clear their chamber’s Ways and Means Committee before debate by the full House and Senate.