Senate GOP votes for its repeal

The Republican-controlled state Senate voted along party lines Friday to repeal Colorado’s tax credits for electric vehicles in a move that Democrats bemoan as putting the environment at risk but which the GOP says is a luxury that favors rich people who don’t need it.

Senate Bill 47 passed by a vote of 18-16, with one Republican abstaining and Sen. Cheri Jahn, a Wheat Ridge independent, siding with the GOP.

Legislative analysts estimate that repealing the tax credit would raise roughly $50 million over the next several years, money that the GOP says it wants to go to roads — especially since electric vehicle drivers don’t buy gas and therefore don’t contribute to gas-tax revenue.

“Tax credits should be something we are very, very careful in what we hand out,” said Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton.

The GOP also pointed to the higher price of electric vehicles, saying those who can afford them should not be receiving tax breaks.

But Democratic Sen. Angela Williams, of Denver, said many of her constituents have seized on the breaks.

“I think we should encourage this type of tax credit,” she said.

In voting against the bill, other Senate Democrats pointed to the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.

The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats, where it’s likely to fail.

Legislative analysts say the state has offered a tax credit for the purchase of “innovative” vehicles since tax year 1993.