Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a measure making sure electric vehicle drivers pay their fair share of highway and road maintenance and improvements.
The Governor put his name to House Bill 2234 by Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, that creates of the Driving on Road Infrastructure with Vehicles of Electricity (DRIVE) Act of 2021.
It drew the support of Brook Simmons, President of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.
“The Biden administration has made transitioning our nation’s transportation system from petroleum to electric an administrative priority. It’s clear state and local governments must take action now to ensure the funding mechanisms used to maintain the roads and bridges we use daily remain viable in the decades to come,” said Simmons in a statement.
He pointed out that HB 2234 provides parity in the way transportation infrastructure is funded in Oklahoma.
“Just as drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles pay a tax at the gas pump, now electric vehicle drivers will pay a tax at public charging stations,” added Simmons.
“One of the main sources of funding for Oklahoma’s roads and bridges comes from fuel taxes, but as electric vehicles have become more popular, it’s clear we must find a fair way to ensure those EV drivers are helping support our transportation infrastructure as well,” Sen. Taylor said. “That’s what the DRIVE Act will do.”
