DeMint wants to cut federal gasoline tax

BLATHNAID HEALY, Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim DeMint wants to slash the federal gasoline tax by almost 80 percent and let states use the money to raise or lower their prices at the pump.

DeMint, R-S.C., said he would introduce legislation today to cut the federal tax from 18.3 to 3.7 cents a gallon, declaring that South Carolinians shoulder an unfair gas tax burden.

"We don't get back our fair share of the taxes we send to Washington," he said, calling South Carolina a "donor" state.

According to DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton, South Carolina currently receives 92 cents for every dollar it sends the federal government in gas taxes.

At one time that number was as low as 78 cents on the dollar.

DeMint doesn't foresee substantial shifts in the per-gallon price of gasoline, but said his bill would allow individual states to raise or lower their taxes as they see fit.

"The intent is the gas tax will stay the same but the federal portion will be 3 cents," he said.

Coretta Bedsole, a lobbyist for the AAA in South Carolina, said her organization would oppose any reduction in federal gas taxes.

"We would be concerned about any legislation that would take federal tax dollars coming to South Carolina for our highway infrastructure needs," Bedsole said.

But DeMint said states with powerful committee chairmen and influential members of Congress are able to direct federal gas tax dollars into bike path and road projects in their states to the detriment of needed highway projects in smaller states like South Carolina.

Joel Sawyer, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said that too often other states benefit from South Carolina's tax dollars.

"We would be open to any proposal that would keep South Carolinians' gas dollars in the state as opposed to going to other places," he said.

Even if it ultimately passes, DeMint's bill would not be effective until the current federal highway law expires in 2010.