By Blair Miller, Daily Montanan
Another attempt to impose annual fees on electric vehicles in Montana saw its first legislative committee hearing Friday following Gov. Greg Gianforte’s 2021 veto of a similar measure — and extensive work done since by an interim committee to come up with what the sponsor says is a good compromise.
House Bill 60, sponsored again by Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis, would impose yearly fees on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles when a Montana resident registers or updates their registration in order to offset state losses in gas tax revenue.
That is because fully electric vehicles do not use gasoline or diesel but still contribute to damage and degradation of roads and infrastructure, Loge said at the House Transportation Committee hearing.
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Ian Lund, with the Montana Environmental Information Center, said the fees are still “a little high.” But Lund, the lone person to testify in opposition to the bill at Friday’s hearing, also said he supported the idea of an electric vehicle registration fee and appreciated Loge’s and the interim committee’s work on the measure.
