Gas tax increase is key to fueling Washington Senate's transportation spending plan
The first increase in Washington’s gas tax since 2016 is the centerpiece of a bipartisan transportation funding plan state senators unveiled Monday.
The 6-cent per-gallon hike in fiscal year 2026 would bring the gas tax to 55.4 cents — before including the 18.4 cent federal rate. The state tax would then rise by 2% annually to account for inflation starting the following year under the Senate plan.
The proposal would raise $1.5 billion over the next six years, lawmakers say. It’s one of several ways legislators on both sides of the aisle are looking at funding a $16.2 billion budget in the 2025-2027 biennium.
Without new revenue, the transportation budget faces a $1 billion shortfall over the next two years, growing to $8 billion to meet current obligations over the next six years, some lawmakers have cautioned.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/03/24/gas-tax-increase-is-key-to-fueling-washington-senates-transportation-spending-plan/