The Utah House has signed off on a Senate bill that would make it easier to expand toll roads on all roads in the state.
The bill initially dealt only with using surveillance cameras to collect money from existing tolls. But an amendment on the Senate floor shortly before it passed took lawmakers out of the equation of signing off on tolling highways that have already been built.
SB71 passed the House on Wednesday despite concerns from anti-tax Republicans and from some lawmakers who expressed concerns about the impact of future open-road tolling on low-income drivers.
Supporters said the bill would lead to a time when drivers pay the actual costs of driving on Utah’s roads, which lawmakers say are a drain on the state budget.