At this writing, the Ohio House and state Senate are deadlocked over the state highway budget for the two years that’ll begin July 1 and expect to miss the Sunday deadline for House and Senate conferees to agree on a plan to send to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.

But conferees’ plan, when it emerges, likely won’t be a carbon copy what the governor requested, because what DeWine requested is based on fact – the actual needs of Ohio drivers and highway shippers – not on Republican legislators’ politicking.

DeWine called for boosting Ohio’s fuel tax. Since 2005, it’s been 28 cents per gallon for gasoline and diesel fuel. (The state tax began in 1925, at 2 cents per gallon.)

DeWine wanted to boost the 28-cent tax to 46 cents a gallon starting in July, and index it to inflation. The Ohio House has counter-offered an 11-cents-per gallon tax increase on gasoline and a 20-cents-per-gallon increase on diesel fuel. DeWine has agreed to the House’s offer.

Meanwhile, the Senate was said to support an increase of 8.5 cents on gasoline and 11 cents on diesel fuel. Ohio’s Republican state senators have a “mine is smaller than yours” obsession. So it’s possible the Senate might agree to an increase that’s just a hair less – but it must be less – than the House-DeWine compromise.