With the legislative session rapidly drawing to a close, Pennsylvania state lawmakers are at a standstill on how best to aid the state’s struggling public transit agencies.

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, earlier this week proposed a package of fees on motorists to provide $110 million annually for Pittsburgh’s Port Authority, Philadelphia’s transit authority and smaller transit agencies across the state.

Endorsed by Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, the plan included higher taxes on tires and car rentals as well as a new $2 sticker fee for vehicles that pass emissions tests.

In addition to the emissions-sticker fee, the plan would bump the fee for requesting driving records from $5 to $12; double the state’s fee on car rentals from $2 to $4; and triple the surcharge on new tires from $1 to $3.

Key GOP lawmakers rejected the proposal and instead opted to scour obscure agencies to cobble together enough dollars to bail out transit groups.

Erik Arneson, chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill, R-Lebanon, told local media that Republicans might turn to lottery funds to raise as much as $100 million. Lawmakers would then need to find the money in the 2006 fiscal year to replace the lottery money.

Without a fix, the Port Authority faces a $30 million deficit in 2005 while the Philadelphia transit authority is staring down a $63 million hole.

Pennsylvania’s 41 public transit agencies now receive $533 million from the state. They have been pressing the state Assembly for an infusion of dollars to plug budget deficits, saying that otherwise they will have to raise fares, lay off workers and reduce services.

The current session is scheduled to end by Nov. 30 but lawmakers are hopeful of wrapping up their work as soon as this weekend.

The legislative package is HB2697 and SB1162.