Eltife Proposes Raising State Sales Tax

AUSTIN — Tyler State Senator Kevin Eltife is bucking his party and the state’s leadership. KETK reports that he filed a bill proposing a constitutional amendment to temporarily raise the state sales tax. Eltife wants the state to pay off billions of dollars in bond debt accrued by TxDOT. The half-cent tax would free up $1 billion a year now used for debt service. TxDOT could use that money to expand and maintain the state’s transportation system. TxDOT has said it needs $4 billion in additional money every year to maintain the state’s current level of congestion as the population continues to grow.