The House Roads and Transportation Committee advanced Senate Bill 333 -- Gov. Mike Pence's state road funding plan -- but not before making some major changes.

The plan includes increases in the gas and cigarette taxes. Its authors argue they are modest, necessary moves that help create a long term funding solution. But several members of the Senate Appropriations Committee seemed skeptical about proposal's tax increases.

Senate legislators unanimously endorsed Gov. Mike Pence's short term road funding plan Wednesday, sending it to the House one day after House Republicans pushed through their long term road plan.

Indiana residents would pay more for gasoline and cigarettes but less in state income taxes under a bill the House has approved.

The House Republican road funding bill remains unchanged as the measure goes up for passage in the House Tuesday. Democrats made one last effort Monday to advance their own road funding plan.

House Ways and Means Chair Tim Brown says the tax cut, which would be spread out over the next 10 years, would balance out his caucus' road funding bill.

The road funding debate gripping the Statehouse this year has led to a strange dynamic, with Republican Gov. Mike Pence and Democrats pushing back against a House GOP plan to raise taxes.

A House road funding proposal cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday, but the GOP plan was not embraced by all Republicans on the House Roads Committee.

Local government leaders praise the House Republican road funding plan, applauding the potential influx of money to their communities. But taxpayers advocates aren't happy with the source of that new money.

Tuesday was a good first day in the legislature for local and state road funding bills supported by Gov. Mike Pence.