NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's sweeping transportation funding proposal has survived a key vote in the state House but without a provision to hike the state's gas and diesel taxes.
The proposal advanced on a 5-4 vote in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday with House Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson of Clarksville joining the panel to cast the tiebreaking vote.
The change to the governor's bill would dedicate a small portion of sales tax collections to transportation projects.
Haslam has expressed concerns about changing the state's traditional way of paying for roads at the fuel pump, so it's likely that his administration will try to bring back the fuel tax proposal in later committees.
A rival proposal by Republican Rep. David Hawk of Greenville was defeated on a 5-3 vote.