The state Senate voted 14-9 Thursday to raise New Hampshire’s gas tax by about 4 cents.
The vote is a major hurdle for the effort to increase the 18-cent tax, which hasn’t changed in since 1991.
The Senate referred the bill to its Finance Committee.
The increase is expected to generate roughly $32 million annually for road improvements across the state.
If approved by the House, Governor Maggie Hassan says she would sign the bill into law.
The increase would go into effect in July.
A provision was stripped from the bill that would have had the tax increase again every four years based on the Consumer Price Index.
