AFP Launches Major Effort to Stop a Gas Tax Hike

Americans for Prosperity-Iowa announced today the launch of a major effort to stop a new gas tax hike in Iowa. The organization’s 45,000-strong grassroots force is engaging on this issue by contacting their lawmakers and encouraging them to avoid raising the gas tax. AFP has also invested in digital, radio and print ads to raise awareness of the issue around the state.

AFP’s position is that a portion of the general fund should be diverted into the Road Use Tax Fund each year, increasing predictability in the funding mechanism and making roads and bridges a priority for Iowa.

See the whole plan here.

“Iowans are finally getting a break at the pump. We shouldn’t treat that break as just another opportunity to raise taxes. Raising the gas tax periodically is the wrong way to handle this. Instead, our state ought to find a long-term solution to reform the way roads and bridges are funded,” AFP-Iowa State Director Drew Klein said.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette ran an oped from Klein last week that lays out additional detail about Americans for Prosperity’s plan. Read it here.

The organization said that because the general fund has grown by more than 10 percent in recent years, the state can afford to make infrastructure projects a serious priority.

Background

The Iowa chapter of Americans for Prosperity includes almost 45,000 activists who engage with their elected officials to promote policies in keeping with the principals of economic freedom. The organization also has a significant field presence. AFP currently has offices in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Davenport, with plans to open additional locations in the future.