Nick Malawskey/nmalawskey@pennlive.com

by Jan Murphy | Pennlive.com

“Supporters of Pennsylvania’s $2 billion-plus transportation funding plan tried to soften the blow of its impact on motorists by emphasizing it relies heavily on a tax on Big Oil, not consumers.

“A ‘fact check’ issued by the House Republicans about the plan declared, ‘Oil Companies Will Finally Pay Their Fair Share.’ It goes on to say the measure that Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law on Monday ‘TOTALLY shifts the gas tax burden to oil companies.’

“All along the way, opponents didn’t buy that argument about the phase-out of the 30-year-old cap on the state’s oil company franchise tax gas retailers pay, not oil companies. And they say neither should you.

“Four gas retailers interviewed this week said they plan to pass along all or most of the minimum 28 cents per gallon increase in state taxes to the consumer in the form of higher prices at the gas pump.

“‘This tax is large and it will be passed on,’ said Monica Jones, public relations manager at the Altoona-based Sheetz convenience stores. ‘It is what it is. It’s a cost increase and unfortunately, it will be passed on to consumers.’

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