NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam is bringing his transportation funding road show to Nashville on Thursday amid increasing skepticism among fellow Republicans in the Legislature about the need to raise Tennessee's gas tax.
The governor launched the 15-stop tour in Memphis last week, as he seeks to draw attention to the transportation funding challenges facing the state. Haslam has stopped short of making any specific recommendations on how to fund a backlog of projects around the state, but most observers believe it will involve efforts to increase the state's gas tax.
Sen. Mark Norris, the Republican leader in the upper chamber who famously refused to sponsor Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 Tennesseans this year, told reporters that legislative leaders won't support a gas tax hike next session.