CODY — Members of a state legislative committee voted not to move forward with a bill that would increase the state gas tax by 10 cents per gallon to generate funds for preventative road work.

The bill was struck down during a state Transportation, Highways, and Military Affairs committee meeting in Cheyenne last week by a vote of 7-5. According to a Wyoming Department of Transportation presentation delivered to the committee in August, WYDOT faces a $411.32 million budget shortfall.

Part of that shortfall is made up of $89 million worth of preventative maintenance on roads and bridges that is currently unfunded. For every dollar not spent on preventative maintenance, $4 - $8 is needed for complete reconstruction a few years later, according to the August WYDOT presentation.

The bill wo

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