GOP Leaders Want Holcomb To Take Charge On Tax Hikes

Republican legislative leaders say it’s “critically important” that Gov. Eric Holcomb support their charge to raise taxes for road funding. That comes ahead of Holcomb’s State of the State address.

Holcomb has said fuel tax increases are a possible road funding solution, and Senate Appropriations Chair Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) says it’s important Holcomb use his “bully pulpit” to advocate for them.

“We need to convince the taxpayer and convince the people that are going to vote here in the building that we’ve been through every other avenue of how you deal with this,” Kenley says.

House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) agrees and says it’s important that Holcomb is on board.

“It’s difficult to step forward and say ‘We’re as lean as we can get here and we have to have an investment in roads and we’re willing to put a gas tax [increase] on the table,’” Bosma says.

Bosma says he’s hoping to hear more specifics from Holcomb when he delivers his State of the State address.