Coalition drops efforts to get transporation question on ballot

ST. LOUIS -- A coalition of transportation supporters has decided to drop its efforts to get a question on the November ballot asking voters to approve tax increases for transportation.

Fearing that time is running out to gather the required signatures, some initiative backers said Tuesday that they would shift their focus to funding proposals pending in the Legislature.

"The initiative petition is not going to happen this year," said Len Toenjes, president of the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis. "We agreed that the time wasn't there."

Proponents met Tuesday in Jefferson City and decided to drop the initiative petition this year. The group would have had until May 5 to collect about 120,000 signatures.

Early influential backers included the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Missouri Farm Bureau.

The proposal would have raised around $650 million annually from state sales and motor fuel taxes. The money would have gone to the state transportation department, local governments and the Highway Patrol.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are trying to come up with other ideas to raise money for transportation. The legislative proposals also would require voter approval.

A proposal by Sen. Morris Westfall, R-Halfway, would generate about $475 million annually by raising the state fuel tax by 6 cents a gallon to 23 cents and boosting the sales tax by three-eighths of a cent to 4.6 cents per dollar.