Blaming escalating fuel prices, an Oklahoma state senator abandoned efforts to call a statewide vote on raising fuel taxes to fix roads and bridges.

“It’s disappointing, because we’ve been working on this a long time,” Sen. Robert Milacek, R-Enid, told local media. “I believe we had an excellent shot of passing a bill and getting it to a vote of the people, but no one could have predicted the gas prices we’ve been seeing.”

He said a measure he helped sponsor would have passed the Senate, but there was not enough support in the House.

HB2632 proposed a statewide election to increase the diesel fuel tax 8 cents a gallon and the gasoline tax 5 cents a gallon over three years. Drivers in the Sooner State now pay 14 cents a gallon in tax on diesel fuel and 17 cents a gallon on gas.

Fully implemented, the proposal would have raised $145 million more a year, The Oklahoman reported. Revenue generated would all go to the state’s roads and bridges.

“This would have given us the funds we need to address the fact that we rank first in the nation in unsafe bridges,” Milacek said.

Milacek is not running for re-election in November, but said he would be available to “assist anyone interested in taking up the cause” of the state’s road problems in the future.

“I’m still convinced that this would be good for the state, but like so many other things, there is always a matter of timing,” he said.