Shift funding on roads

In 2019 the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 416, signed by the governor, which set the new tax rate for gasoline (24.5 cents per gallon) and diesel fuel, and included a $200 per year additional fee for electric vehicles to be paid at annual vehicle registration. A small gasoline-powered car which gets 33 mpg and is driven 13,500 miles would use 409 gallons of gas and pay only $100.20 per year in fuel taxes. This approximately $100 per year penalty on electric vehicles will discourage the use of electric vehicles, result in increased unnecessary burning of fossil fuels and increased pollution, and send a message to the world that the Natural State does not care about the environment.

The main causes of damage to our roads are weight, weather, and repetition (miles driven). As the world transitions from gas to electric vehicles over the next 10 to 20 years, the funds needed for road maintenance must also transition from fuel taxes to other sources. I suggest funding for road maintenance be based on the weight of vehicles and miles driven, because the vehicles that do the most damage to roads should pay more to maintain those roads. A penalty on electric vehicles is a horrible first step in this transition of funding.

The governor and next Legislature should show the world that they care about the environment of the Natural State by removing the penalty on electric vehicles and shifting the source of funding for road maintenance to those vehicles that cause the most damage to the roads and the most harm to the environment. JIM RICE Little Rock