States must close some $97 billion in budget gaps over next two years

States must close some $97 billion in budget gaps over the next two years, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported the week of Dec. 9.

Drivers in Nebraska will be taxed an additional 0.4 cents per gallon of gas purchased effective New Year's Day.

Indiana's highway construction plan has taken a hit of more than $400 million this year because drivers are buying less gasoline and the slumping financial markets have not returned the estimated level of investment income.

A draft report made public contends Rhode Island should consider charging tolls on interstate highways at the state's borders, creating a new tax for each mile a vehicle is driven, tolling a new Sakonnet River Bridge, increasing the state gas tax, and hiking vehicle registration fees–all to raise more money for transportation projects.