Washington state voters thumped a proposed tax hike Tuesday, killing a road-and-transit plan that would have seen truckers' costs soar. The statewide package of transportation taxes and projects was defeated 64 percent to 36 percent.

The $7.8 billion fuel tax measure would have raised fuel taxes by 9 cents per gallon, boost trucking fees by 30 percent and put an additional 1 percent tax on vehicle sales over the next 10 years.

Without the added revenue, the state transportation department will shortly begin laying off employees - reaching about 600 jobs within three years if new money isn't found, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. The department's work would be chiefly restricted to plowing snow, filling potholes, painting bridges, and repaving worn roads, with improvements put on hold until voters or the Legislature approve new revenue.