House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin) told Capitol reporters that he will call a vote on electronic highway toll legislation next week.
The bill before the House would lay the groundwork for the state to implement a comprehensive tolling system after two years or so of study. Speak Aresimowicz also said that he prefers a toll system that discounts in-state drivers up to 50 percent vs. out-of-state drivers.
The speaker acknowledged, however, that he did not expect any Republicans to vote for the bill. As the Democrats hold a slim 79-71 majority in the House, passage could be difficult, he admitted.
Aresimowicz said a lower rate for in-state drivers could be achieved either through highway passes for registered Connecticut drivers or an income-tax credit. Even with the discount, the speaker said the tolls could raise up to $1 billion per year once fully implemented ”“ considerably more than the annual $600 million most proponents have invoked.
Nearly half of that revenue would come from out-of-state drivers, Aresimowicz said. Should any toll measure be passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dannel Malloy, an electronic toll system would likely not become a reality on Connecticut highways until 2021 at the earliest.
