Republicans are in the minority in the General Assembly, but they were able to secure enough signatures to force a public hearing on repealing the highway user fee that went into effect in January. The Democrat-controlled Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee refused to hold a public hearing on the bill, but according to Republicans they secured 51 signatures to force the public hearing. Republicans have been trying to repeal the fee because they say it will increase the cost of goods trucked to the state. The state is expected to start collecting revenue from the highway user fee on Feb. 28, despite opposition from the business and trucking community. The mileage-based fee on trucks using Connecticut highways was approved by state policymakers back in 2021 in an effort to generate ongoing revenue to support the Special Transportation Fund, which pays for the upkeep and improvement of roads and bridges.
