Farm Bureau favors fuel tax increase 

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) came out in support of a bipartisan legislative effort announced yesterday to raise the state’s fuel tax by 8 cents per gallon by 2014. The raise would help make up what the Iowa Department of Transportation estimates as a $215 million per year shortfall of critical road funding. An advisory council assigned by Gov. Terry Branstad in 2011 recommended raising the fuel tax by 8 to 10 cents. Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said that the tax would help fund the nearly 90,000 miles of rural roads in the state, and the IFBF said its members have long supported the increase.

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) came out in support of a bipartisan legislative effort announced yesterday to raise the state’s fuel tax by 8 cents per gallon by 2014.

The raise would help make up what the Iowa Department of Transportation estimates as a $215 million per year shortfall of critical road funding. An advisory council assigned by Gov. Terry Branstad in 2011 recommended raising the fuel tax by 8 to 10 cents.

Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said that the tax would help fund the nearly 90,000 miles of rural roads in the state, and the IFBF said its members have long supported the increase.