Poor Legislators, will hafta raise cigarette taxes

W.Va. gas tax collections down as drivers cut back
by The Associated Press

High gasoline prices may be cutting into West Virginia's pool of money for highway repair and construction.

West Virginia motorists are paying an average of $3.93 a gallon for regular gasoline this week, the fourth highest in the country behind Alaska, Connecticut and New York, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Of that amount, the state collects 32.2 cents per gallon in taxes for the state Road Fund.

Last month, those tax proceeds totaled $30.5 million, which is $2.35 million less than projected and a drop of about 4 percent over collections in April 2007, Tax Commissioner Virgil Helton told the Council of Finance and Administration during legislative interims Monday.

A year ago in April, the gas tax generated $31.87 million.

http://www.dailymail.com/News/200805210087