SB 107-07: No Tolls Act (Tabled)

[WD]

AN ACT
To abolish tolls

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

Section 1. Title

1. This act may be cited as the No Tolls Act.

Section 2
1. From fiscal year 2023 onwards, all toll roads shall be abolished in the Republic of Atlasia.

2. A toll road shall be defined as a major Highway operated by a state or regional authority that tolls drivers on the road for it’s use.

3. All toll roads that previously had tolls shall still operate as roads, but shall be without tolls for it’s use.

Section 3 (Fines)

1. Automakers who sell carbon emitting vehicles shall be subject to regional carbon output standards.

2. Carbon output standards shall be outlined as such: Every 5 years, all automakers who sell new carbon emitting vehicles shall be subject to a standard which stipulates that emissions in new carbon emitting vehicles shall decrease by 5% every 5 years from 2023 to 2033. From 2033 to 2053, all automakers who sell new carbon emitting vehicles shall be subject to a standard which stipulates that the emissions allowance is reduced by 10%.

3. Automakers who are found by state transportation authorities to have violated the new emissions clauses shall be subject to fine equivalent to 10% of the total revenue the automaker makes in the Republic of Atlasia.

Sponsor: Western Democrat

The gentleman from Oregon is recognized.

[Senator-elect Spark]

What is the total projected loss of revenue for eliminating tolls? I mean don't get me wrong, I am all for eliminating unnecessary fees and such, but not to the extent that it will jeopardize the federal budget.

[WD]

What is the total projected loss of revenue for eliminating tolls? I mean don't get me wrong, I am all for eliminating unnecessary fees and such, but not to the extent that it will jeopardize the federal budget.

According to this, roughly about $15 billion as of 2018, and there’s no reason to believe that number has changed all that much over the past few years:

The American Transportation Research Institute reports toll revenues have risen 72.54% over 10 years, with $14.7 billion in revenue collected in 2018 alone

Now, this study is representative of 80% of all toll collections, so the total revenue is around $18.4 billion.

[WD]

Anyway, this bill is based upon a bill that was introduced (and unfortunately withdrawn) in Lincoln. Tolls are a unnecessary expense placed upon drivers, and in particular it is a highly regressive tax that predominantly hurts lower income, poor, and rural people who use the roads the most.

[Senator-elect Spark]

Anyway, this bill is based upon a bill that was introduced (and unfortunately withdrawn) in Lincoln. Tolls are a unnecessary expense placed upon drivers, and in particular it is a highly regressive tax that predominantly hurts lower income, poor, and rural people who use the roads the most.

Indeed. Regressive taxes should be eliminated. What about the other provision of the fines of 10%? How much revenue would that raise? Those fines are not guaranteed to be raised either. I'd support something of the sort that would guarantee revenue for the federal government to balance things out.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

What is the total projected loss of revenue for eliminating tolls? I mean don't get me wrong, I am all for eliminating unnecessary fees and such, but not to the extent that it will jeopardize the federal budget.

According to this, roughly about $15 billion as of 2018, and there’s no reason to believe that number has changed all that much over the past few years:

The American Transportation Research Institute reports toll revenues have risen 72.54% over 10 years, with $14.7 billion in revenue collected in 2018 alone

Now, this study is representative of 80% of all toll collections, so the total revenue is around $18.4 billion.

To be clear, this is not the amount of money brought in by the federal government, because federal tolls are illegal. Tolls are determined by the state or region.

As far as I know, Frémont eliminated its tolls but I do not believe either the South or Lincoln have.

[S019]

I do not support this

[Dr. MB]

This would get rid of a huge burden on Atlasian drivers. I support this bill 100%.

[OBD]

Based! Let's trash the regressive stain that are road tolls and return our highways to the people!

[S019]

I don’t really support relieving drivers of a burden given the obvious ties of high car use to accelerating climate change. What I would support though is a compromise to reduce or eliminate tolls on electric or hybrid cars. I firmly believe our best route to tackle climate change is to eliminate our gas usage or get it as close to zero as possible and this means making driving a gas car as much of a financial burden as possible.

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

...federal tolls are illegal. Tolls are determined by the state or region.

As far as I know, Frémont eliminated its tolls but I do not believe either the South or Lincoln have.

This would make this a Regional & State issue and this bill is overstepping and intruding into Regional & State jurisdiction. As the Senator for the Deep South, I cannot and will not support a bill that intrudes on the powers of the Regions. This bill is therefore just Federal government grandstanding.

I motion to table.

I encourage all Y'all to introduce these at the regional level where it belongs.

[Saint Milei]

Second motion

[WD]

A vote on the motion to table is open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[WD]

Nay

[S019]

AYE

[Saint Milei]

Aye

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I do sympathize with Muad'dib's points. I'm very much against tolls and I would never support tolls for Frémont, but the great thing about having three regions is that these issues can have three times the debate. So putting my personal opposition aside, I would actually rather leave this one to the regions. That's ultimately what generates activity at a local level.

Also, another senator brought this up to me last night: the table motion is way overused, and so I would urge senators to use it more sparingly. Don't forget, folks, that the threshold for killing a bill this way is 2/3 of people voting. Absolutely nothing gets accomplished.

[OBD]

Nay.

[If my soul was made of stone]

AYE

[Kuumo]

Aye

[Joseph Cao]

We got about twenty-one and a half hours into debate before motioning to table.

Aye, I suppose, since this certainly ought to be left to the regions, but honestly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Aye

[Continential]

aye

[West_Midlander]

Aye