Gas Tax Holiday would total $126 million in Washington

The federal gas tax holiday proposed for this summer by presidential contenders John McCain and Hillary Clinton would reduce federal funds for Washington state highways by $126 million.

The head of the state Senate Transportation Committee, Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island, says the money has already been spent or committed with the understanding it would be coming from the federal Highway Trust Fund.

She says, losing the money would affect highway maintenance work.

The federal gas tax is 18 cents a gallon. That's in addition to the state tax of 36 cents a gallon. The 54 cents a gallon in taxes gives Washington the seventh-highest gas taxes in the nation.

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Information from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, http://www.seattle-pi.com/