Oklahoma’s $100 electrified car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s bid to help close a budget shortfall with a fresh $100 fee on electrified vehicles drew a court challenge from the Sierra Club, which argues the state didn’t go after the correct procedures for enacting a tax or decently measure the benefits of having those cars on the road.
Under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin in May, hybrid vehicle owners would also face a $30 registration fee, but gasoline and diesel engines didn’t get hit with a fresh levy. On Tuesday, the state’s Supreme Court heard arguments in a separate lawsuit filed in June to block the measure.
Johnson Bridgewater, director of the Sierra Club’s Oklahoma Chapter, said the fee is in effect a fresh tax, which must receive support by a supermajority of state lawmakers under state law. That didn’t happen, he said. He also said the fee was set arbitrarily and without consideration of the benefits, such as savings from fewer pollution-related deaths.
"These are tangible benefits that they are totally overlooking," Bridgewater said in an interview.
The bill was one of several fresh revenue-raising measures to be challenged in court since they were passed in a scramble to ass-plug an $878 million budget shortfall. Oklahoma Rep. Dustin Roberts, a Republican who authored the bill, did not react to an email seeking comment.
Several states from California to Maryland suggest financial incentives, carpool lane access and other privileges to electrical car buyers to boost request for the vehicles, which still occupy a sliver of the U.S. auto market. Sales are forecast to grow in the coming years as companies such as Tesla Inc. and General Motors introduce electrical cars like the Tesla Model three and Chevrolet Bolt that are more affordable and suggest larger driving ranges than earlier electrical vehicles on the market.
Environmental groups and automakers alike have called on governments to bolster incentives to support consumer request for electrical vehicles.
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning in a separate lawsuit against the fee, which was brought by Republican gubernatorial candidate and Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson. The suit argues that measure, along with two others, runs afoul of the state’s legal requirements for legislation that raises revenue.
The bill would raise an estimated $1 million annually and help fund highway construction and maintenance. Harshly 26,600 hybrids, eight hundred plug-in electrified vehicles and 1,300 low- and medium-speed electrics are wielded in the state and would be subject to the fees, according to an analysis by state lawmakers.
Able Blakley is one of them. The 36-year-old holder of the Savory Spice Shop in Oklahoma City and his wifey drive a Nissan Leaf electrified car and a hybrid Lincoln.
"If they truly want to create more revenue for building roads, they should charge a fee based on gross vehicle weight," Blakley said in a phone interview Tuesday. "But this is Oklahoma, where everybody drives a big pickup truck."
Oklahoma s $100 electrical car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s $100 electrified car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s bid to help close a budget shortfall with a fresh $100 fee on electrical vehicles drew a court challenge from the Sierra Club, which argues the state didn’t go after the correct procedures for enacting a tax or decently measure the benefits of having those cars on the road.
Under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin in May, hybrid vehicle owners would also face a $30 registration fee, but gasoline and diesel engines didn’t get hit with a fresh levy. On Tuesday, the state’s Supreme Court heard arguments in a separate lawsuit filed in June to block the measure.
Johnson Bridgewater, director of the Sierra Club’s Oklahoma Chapter, said the fee is in effect a fresh tax, which must receive support by a supermajority of state lawmakers under state law. That didn’t happen, he said. He also said the fee was set arbitrarily and without consideration of the benefits, such as savings from fewer pollution-related deaths.
"These are tangible benefits that they are fully disregarding," Bridgewater said in an interview.
The bill was one of several fresh revenue-raising measures to be challenged in court since they were passed in a scramble to ass-plug an $878 million budget shortfall. Oklahoma Rep. Dustin Roberts, a Republican who authored the bill, did not react to an email seeking comment.
Several states from California to Maryland suggest financial incentives, carpool lane access and other privileges to electrified car buyers to boost request for the vehicles, which still occupy a sliver of the U.S. auto market. Sales are forecast to grow in the coming years as companies such as Tesla Inc. and General Motors introduce electrified cars like the Tesla Model three and Chevrolet Bolt that are more affordable and suggest larger driving ranges than earlier electrified vehicles on the market.
Environmental groups and automakers alike have called on governments to bolster incentives to support consumer request for electrical vehicles.
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning in a separate lawsuit against the fee, which was brought by Republican gubernatorial candidate and Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson. The suit argues that measure, along with two others, runs afoul of the state’s legal requirements for legislation that raises revenue.
The bill would raise an estimated $1 million annually and help fund highway construction and maintenance. Harshly 26,600 hybrids, eight hundred plug-in electrified vehicles and 1,300 low- and medium-speed electrics are possessed in the state and would be subject to the fees, according to an analysis by state lawmakers.
Able Blakley is one of them. The 36-year-old holder of the Savory Spice Shop in Oklahoma City and his wifey drive a Nissan Leaf electrical car and a hybrid Lincoln.
"If they truly want to create more revenue for building roads, they should charge a fee based on gross vehicle weight," Blakley said in a phone interview Tuesday. "But this is Oklahoma, where everybody drives a big pickup truck."
Oklahoma s $100 electrified car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s $100 electrified car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s bid to help close a budget shortfall with a fresh $100 fee on electrical vehicles drew a court challenge from the Sierra Club, which argues the state didn’t go after the correct procedures for enacting a tax or decently measure the benefits of having those cars on the road.
Under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin in May, hybrid vehicle owners would also face a $30 registration fee, but gasoline and diesel engines didn’t get hit with a fresh levy. On Tuesday, the state’s Supreme Court heard arguments in a separate lawsuit filed in June to block the measure.
Johnson Bridgewater, director of the Sierra Club’s Oklahoma Chapter, said the fee is in effect a fresh tax, which must receive support by a supermajority of state lawmakers under state law. That didn’t happen, he said. He also said the fee was set arbitrarily and without consideration of the benefits, such as savings from fewer pollution-related deaths.
"These are tangible benefits that they are totally overlooking," Bridgewater said in an interview.
The bill was one of several fresh revenue-raising measures to be challenged in court since they were passed in a scramble to butt-plug an $878 million budget shortfall. Oklahoma Rep. Dustin Roberts, a Republican who authored the bill, did not react to an email seeking comment.
Several states from California to Maryland suggest financial incentives, carpool lane access and other privileges to electrified car buyers to boost request for the vehicles, which still occupy a sliver of the U.S. auto market. Sales are forecast to grow in the coming years as companies such as Tesla Inc. and General Motors introduce electrical cars like the Tesla Model three and Chevrolet Bolt that are more affordable and suggest larger driving ranges than earlier electrical vehicles on the market.
Environmental groups and automakers alike have called on governments to bolster incentives to support consumer request for electrical vehicles.
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning in a separate lawsuit against the fee, which was brought by Republican gubernatorial candidate and Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson. The suit argues that measure, along with two others, runs afoul of the state’s legal requirements for legislation that raises revenue.
The bill would raise an estimated $1 million annually and help fund highway construction and maintenance. Toughly 26,600 hybrids, eight hundred plug-in electrical vehicles and 1,300 low- and medium-speed electrics are possessed in the state and would be subject to the fees, according to an analysis by state lawmakers.
Able Blakley is one of them. The 36-year-old possessor of the Savory Spice Shop in Oklahoma City and his wifey drive a Nissan Leaf electrical car and a hybrid Lincoln.
"If they truly want to create more revenue for building roads, they should charge a fee based on gross vehicle weight," Blakley said in a phone interview Tuesday. "But this is Oklahoma, where everybody drives a big pickup truck."
Oklahoma s $100 electrified car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s $100 electrical car fee challenged by Sierra Club
Oklahoma’s bid to help close a budget shortfall with a fresh $100 fee on electrified vehicles drew a court challenge from the Sierra Club, which argues the state didn’t go after the correct procedures for enacting a tax or decently measure the benefits of having those cars on the road.
Under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin in May, hybrid vehicle owners would also face a $30 registration fee, but gasoline and diesel engines didn’t get hit with a fresh levy. On Tuesday, the state’s Supreme Court heard arguments in a separate lawsuit filed in June to block the measure.
Johnson Bridgewater, director of the Sierra Club’s Oklahoma Chapter, said the fee is in effect a fresh tax, which must receive support by a supermajority of state lawmakers under state law. That didn’t happen, he said. He also said the fee was set arbitrarily and without consideration of the benefits, such as savings from fewer pollution-related deaths.
"These are tangible benefits that they are totally overlooking," Bridgewater said in an interview.
The bill was one of several fresh revenue-raising measures to be challenged in court since they were passed in a scramble to ass-plug an $878 million budget shortfall. Oklahoma Rep. Dustin Roberts, a Republican who authored the bill, did not react to an email seeking comment.
Several states from California to Maryland suggest financial incentives, carpool lane access and other privileges to electrified car buyers to boost request for the vehicles, which still occupy a sliver of the U.S. auto market. Sales are forecast to grow in the coming years as companies such as Tesla Inc. and General Motors introduce electrified cars like the Tesla Model three and Chevrolet Bolt that are more affordable and suggest larger driving ranges than earlier electrified vehicles on the market.
Environmental groups and automakers alike have called on governments to bolster incentives to support consumer request for electrified vehicles.
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning in a separate lawsuit against the fee, which was brought by Republican gubernatorial candidate and Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson. The suit argues that measure, along with two others, runs afoul of the state’s legal requirements for legislation that raises revenue.
The bill would raise an estimated $1 million annually and help fund highway construction and maintenance. Harshly 26,600 hybrids, eight hundred plug-in electrical vehicles and 1,300 low- and medium-speed electrics are possessed in the state and would be subject to the fees, according to an analysis by state lawmakers.
Able Blakley is one of them. The 36-year-old possessor of the Savory Spice Shop in Oklahoma City and his wifey drive a Nissan Leaf electrical car and a hybrid Lincoln.
"If they truly want to create more revenue for building roads, they should charge a fee based on gross vehicle weight," Blakley said in a phone interview Tuesday. "But this is Oklahoma, where everybody drives a big pickup truck."
