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Changing aviation fuels necessitates tax change, lawmaker says

Changing aviation fuel usage patterns means the state needs to act to continue tax revenue flowing to Minnesota’s airports, one lawmaker told the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee Wednesday.

Sponsored by Rep. Mark Anderson (R-Lake Shore), HF594 proposes to tax certain gasolines used in airplanes, instead of an older type of aviation fuel he said is being phased out, at the same lower rate as aircraft fuel — 5 cents per gallon, and not the general gasoline tax rate of 28.5 cents per gallon.

Approved, as amended, the bill will now head to the House Taxes Committee.

[MORE: Listen to Wednesday’s transportation committee hearing]

The Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee has approved a companion, SF269, sponsored by Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope). That bill now awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.

Anderson, a pilot, told the committee pilots are using less of a more traditional aircraft fuel and switching to a newer fuel not covered by the aviation gasoline tax, necessitating the change. The revenue from fuels used in aviation is deposited in the state airports fund.

Not many users are using the newer fuel now, he said, “but more and more” will be making the switch in coming years.

“We need to keep the current tax and the fuel being burned in these airplanes … going into the aviation fund,” Anderson said.


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