Less than 24 hours after Oklahoma voters crushed an effort to boost the state’s fuel taxes to help fix roads and bridges in the state, Republicans unveiled a plan to generate road dollars without raising taxes.

House Speaker Todd Hiett said the defeat of State Question 723, a proposal to boost Oklahoma’s per gallon tax on diesel and gasoline to 22 cents, “sent a very clear message.”

“Yesterday, the people said: Not one more dime of my money; fix Oklahoma’s roads with dollars you already take from us,” Hiett, R-Kellyville, said at a press conference Sept. 14 at the capitol.

The GOP plan would increase annual appropriations hikes for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation from a maximum of $35 million to $50 million.

It would also create a $100 million emergency bridge repair fund.

Rep. Mark Liotta, R-Tulsa, chairman of the appropriation subcommittee, said it hasn’t been decided whether funds will come from the state’s Rainy Day fund or another source.

“This appropriation will take care of more than 50 of the worst of the worst bridges statewide,” Liotta said.

Counties would also benefit under the plan. The county share of motor vehicle fees would double to 30 percent, an increase of as much as $100 million annually.