A new University of Tennessee study has been laying out some options for the state to boost its funding for road projects, ranging from charging drivers by the mile to tapping the state's general fund for new money.
Republican Governor Bill Haslam has been traveling the state to make the case for why Tennessee needs to address the way it pays for its road needs. But any talk of a gas tax hike has been met with a largely chilly reception among state lawmakers -- most of whom have been set to face re-election next year.
The report by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee noted that Tennessee's 21.4-cent tax on each gallon of gasoline is the 12th lowest nationwide and fifth lowest among southeastern states.
