Green fees? Oregon, Washington mull electric vehicle fees

From Stateline.org writer Josh Goodman: Both the Oregon and Washington legislatures are considering bills imposing fees on electric car owners, moves designed to make up for revenue that’s lost when drivers don’t pay gas taxes because they don’t use gas. The bills have key legislators behind them. In Washington, the transportation committee chairs in both houses of the legislature support a $100-a-year fee, the Seattle Times reports. TheRegister Guard reports that Oregon’s bill, which would charge electric car drivers six cents for every 10 miles they drive, is the product of a task force that has been studying alternatives to the gas tax for years. Virtually every state has struggled to pay for transportation projects in recent years, as more fuel-efficient vehicles have cut into gas tax revenue.