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Indiana House Speaker: Tentative roads funding deal reached

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma says Republicans who control the Legislature are close to reaching a deal that will finance improvements to the state’s infrastructure.

Bosma said Wednesday that the House Republican caucus still needs to be briefed on the details and declined to offer specifics. He says any agreement would offer a long term-solution for local roads funding. He’s also hopeful the deal will shift some of the state’s gas tax that currently funds other priorities back to infrastructure spending.

Bosma has sought a $1 per-pack cigarette tax increase as well as a four-penny increase in the state’s 18-cent gas tax. But Senate Republicans and Gov. Mike Pence adamantly oppose raising taxes in an election year.

Senate GOP leader David Long was not immediately available for comment.