No fallout for gas tax votes according to Republican insider

DES MOINES - Republicans who this week voted in favor of raising the state gas tax 10 cents per gallon will not face political repercussions for their votes, a GOP insider said Friday.

Doug Gross said there were no political consequences the last time the gas tax was raised - in 1989, when Gov. Terry Branstad was in office and Gross was his chief of staff - and there will be none this time.

Gross also doesn't think Branstad or Republican Statehouse leaders will be punished for the expeditious manner in which the gas tax increase passed.

Gross made the comments Friday during filming for this weekend's episode of 'Iowa Press” on Iowa Public Television. Gross appeared on a GOP panel with Craig Robinson, editor of the conservative website The Iowa Republican, and Steve Scheffler, who represents the party at the state and national levels.

State officials said the gas tax increase was needed to address an estimated $215 million annual shortfall in transportation funding.

'I thought this was, frankly, handled masterfully by the leadership and the governor,” Gross said. 'There's never been political repercussions associated with gas tax passes because people see it as a user fee, the roads are bad, we need to fix it. …

'I was there when (Gov.) Bob Ray (raised the gas tax) in '81, I was his lobbyist. I was there with Terry Branstad, his chief of staff, in '89. There wasn't one legislator that lost their job because of voting for the gas tax, and there won't be this time, either.”

Robinson disagreed, saying he thinks the gas tax votes may cost Republicans an opportunity to gain control of the Iowa Senate in 2016. Democrats hold the slimmest of majorities, 26-24, in the chamber. They held the same advantage going into 2014 and held on despite the Republican wave in that election.

Robinson also criticized the manner in which the gas tax increase passed.

Although the issue had been discussed and debated extensively over the past three years, the current proposal went from introduction to law in just 15 days.

'I think it was absolutely horrible,” Robinson said. 'I think it's scary that we have a state government that can enact a tax in (15) days. That doesn't give any time for people to adjust their budgets.”

Robinson also criticized what he said was a 'bait-and-switch.” Robinson said a key argument of gas tax supporters was the need to fund road and bridge repair projects, yet after signing the tax increase into law, one of the first projects Branstad pushed was the expansion of Highway 20 in northwest Iowa.

'That's not fixing roads that are deteriorated or need funding,” Robinson said. 'That's new construction.”

Scheffler proved to be the panel's centrist on the gas tax, saying he was disappointed the state resorted to a tax increase, but the move should not preclude Republicans from supporting GOP members who voted for it.

Scheffler said he was disappointed some conservative pundits have vilified Republican Statehouse leadership over the gas tax.

'There is a lot of concern among activists, that they don't want another tax increase, they weren't looking at this when they voted for Republicans in the fall,” Scheffler said. 'By the same token, I think that we have to keep our eye on the ball. As much as I don't like it, and I think most activists don't like it, I think we have to understand that there's a bigger picture here, and that Republicans and activists have a duty to kind of keep heat on their state legislator to do the right thing.

'But to think that this is an overriding issue that should distract from us electing (GOP) candidates in the coming years is ill-spoken.”

If You Watch

l What: Republican insiders on Iowa Public Television's 'Iowa Press”

l When: Noon Sunday on IPTV; 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV World.

l Online: The program also is available Friday evening at iptv.org.