Road funding and new taxes are 2017 priorities

Indiana's top lawmakers agree that paying for state roads will be a top priority during the upcoming legislative session — and that tax increases will likely be part of the solution.

But what those new taxes will be remains unclear.

"It’s inevitable we have to find some new sources of money, no question about it," Senate President Pro Tem David Long said Monday during a legislative preview event hosted by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

That represents a change from the Senate leader's position during the 2016 session. He and Senate Republicans joined Gov. Mike Pence in opposing tax increases for state highways proposed by House Republicans. With the 2016 election looming, the Republican-controlled legislature settled for an $800 million, two-year stopgap with no tax increases.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/21/chamber-priorities-roads-preschool-cigarette-taxes/94211290/