Online Poll Gives Resounding ”No” To Road Usage Charge Bill
A bill that would impose a road usage charge on motorists in Wyoming didn't get a very favorable response from those taking a Townsquare Media of Cheyenne online poll last week.
As of 7 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 22, 81 percent of those taking the poll were against the idea, while 15 percent of respondents like the idea. In raw numbers, that broke down to 338 people voting no versus 64 who supported the idea.
It should be noted that online polls are not demographically weighted to match either the electorate or the overall population, but instead are open to anyone who chooses to respond to the poll.
It appears that Gov. Mark Gordon has been hearing similar comments from the public. In an interview with Glenn Woods on the ''Wake Up Wyoming'" show last week, the governor said ''I know there is discussion about a road tax. I know people are very upset about that. I guess we'll see what happens with that."
But the governor didn't say whether he personally is for or against the idea.
If it becomes law, the proposal would raise an estimated $136 million per year, with the bulk of which would go to the state highway fund. You can read House Bill 37 here.
The legislature is scheduled to reconvene on March 1 in Cheyenne for what is expected to be a roughly month-long session.
While this year is not a budget session, finding ways to cope with major revenue shortfalls over the next few years is expected to be a major focus of the session.