Highway funding

Legislation to increase highways funding by more than $290 million a year — primarily through increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent — is headed to a West Virginia House of Delegates that has proven adverse to tax hikes. However, Mike Clowser, of the state Contractors Association and a member of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways, said that he’s hopeful the House will accept at least a portion of that increase to help fix the state’s deteriorating roads. Yesterday, the Senate passed the highways funding bill (SB 555) on a 25-9 vote without discussion.