Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342
MADISON – Today, Governor Walker is expected to sign the 2017-19 budget bill, which creates an additional $75 tax for hybrid-electric vehicles and a $100 tax for electric vehicles on top of the existing $75 in fees already annually assessed on these vehicles. Recently, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released a memo showing that on average, owners of hybrid and electric vehicles will now be taxed an additional $43 a year for driving no to low-carbon emission vehicles. Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“While legislative Republicans pass a budget that once again cuts taxes for the wealthy, they raise taxes on Wisconsinites driving electric and hybrid vehicles. Continuing to tax electric and hybrid vehicles to death doesn’t provide a long-term transportation funding solution, which Republicans once again failed to do in this budget. Instead, their misguided approach results in hybrid and electric car owners paying substantially more in taxes and fees than their conventional car counterparts.
“Republicans need to be supporting and encouraging, rather than penalizing, Wisconsinites to reduce carbon emissions and the resulting dire environmental consequences. Yet, they fail to provide robust transit funding, fail to support Regional Transit Authorities, make it more difficult for communities to create bike and pedestrian paths, and raise taxes on individuals driving low-carbon emission cars. Their ineptitude and misplaced priorities have not only created a transportation funding crisis, but continues to jeopardize Wisconsin’s most precious natural resources.”
