Nebraska lawmakers voted 30-16 May 14 to override Governor Pete Ricketts’ (R) veto of Legislative Bill 610, approving a 6 cents-per-gallon state gas tax increase.

The Nebraska Unicameral Legislature voted 26-15 on May 7 to approve the legislation, which once fully implemented will generate $25.4 million per year for the state Department of Roads and an additional $50.8 million for cities and counties. Gov. Ricketts issued his veto of the bill the same day. In order to override the veto, the Legislature needed a minimum of 30 votes to override the governor’s veto, four more than the number of legislators who initially approved the bill.

The gas tax increase will be phased in gradually over the next four years, beginning with a 1.5 cents-per-gallon increase beginning January 1, 2016.

Nebraska is now the sixth state in 2015 to approve a gas tax increase for transportation needs, joining  Idaho, IowaGeorgia, South Dakota and Utah. The Transportation Investment Advocacy Center is tracking nine states with pending gas tax increase legislation. For more information on 2015 state transportation funding initiatives, read the report.