Senator Bergstrom issues statement on Supreme Court’s ruling on electric,
hybrid vehicle tax
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down, in a 6-3
decision, a fee that would have been charged to drivers of electric
and hybrid vehicles, declaring it an unconstitutional tax.
Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair,
agrees with the court’s decision.
“The Oklahoma Supreme Court made the right
decision here,” said Bergstrom, “but it will cut this year's
revenue by about another $400,000, which probably means more cuts in
the budget.”
Bergstrom argues that since the legislation was
clearly intended to replace revenue with the $100 fee on electric
vehicles and $30 on hybrids, it should have required the same 75
percent support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
as required by the state constitution (as amended by the voters in
1992 with State Question 640) for tax increases.
“Those who drive electric vehicles on
Oklahoma roads should help pay to maintain those roads, but they
don’t since they do not pay fuel taxes like everyone else,”
Bergstrom said. “However, this bill should have been passed as a
tax and not as a fee.”
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