The Arkansas Senate has voted to refer a five-cent diesel tax increase to voters to pay for the state’s roads.
By an 18-12 vote, the Senate passed legislation allowing the governor to place the tax hike on the ballot.
The action on Thursday follows two days in which the bill bounced between the Senate and the panel. The bill was amended to exempt some agricultural fuel users from the proposed 5-cent tax increase and advanced to the full Senate
On Wednesday, the bill was amended in the Senate so that only one election could be held. The bill is a companion to a proposed constitutional amendment that would enact a temporary half-cent sales tax for highway construction, which has passed the House.
The measure heads back to the House.