House, Senate Committees pass truck toll bill

February 9, 2016 8:05 am

By Rebecca Turco

rturco@abc6.com

A controversial plan to toll big rigs in Rhode Island turned into a shouting match at the Statehouse Tuesday evening, as members of both the House and Senate voted on the plan.

Things got heated between Chairman Ray Gallison and Representative Patricia Morgan at the House Finance Committee Meeting over the Governor’s Rhode Works bill.

Representative Patricia Morgan wanted to put the breaks on the revised bill to toll the big rig trucks to help pay for road and bridge repairs, but in the end, the committee voted 14 to 4 to move the it forward.

Over in the Senate, the finance committee also voted to move the bill forward, 8 to 2.

The revised RhodeWorks bill includes reducing the toll gantries from 17 to 14, and capping the total amount trucks pay to cross the state both ways to $40.

"We’re going to fix the roads and we’re not going to raise your taxes in the progress."

The governor held a press conference Tuesday morning with political and business leaders, urging lawmakers to pass the bill. The Speaker of the House and Senate President both say they have the votes to make that possible.

"We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re basically doing it in the same way that most states in the Northeast do it," said Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.

In the meantime, Ocean State Job Lot’s CEO says tolling trucks is bad for business.

The bill is scheduled for a vote this week. In the meantime, another grassroots campaign is coming forward: Planning on handing out pink slips to lawmakers who vote yes on the bill.