With the House preparing to take up transportation funding legislation this week, Rep. William Straus explains the rationale behind many of the bill’s provisions.

Straus, the House chair of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, is one of the architects of the bill, which hikes the gas tax by 5 cents, raises fees on ride-hailing apps, increases the minimum corporate income tax, and eliminates a sales tax exemption on rental cars. All in all, it is expected to raise roughly $600 million a year.

Straus appeared on the CommonWealth Codcast and was interviewed by Shira Schoenberg and Bruce Mohl. Here’s a summary of his comments.

What’s the rush? House Speaker Robert DeLeo said “revenue can’t wait any longer” for the transportation system, but it seems like we’re spending a lot already.

Straus said users of the state’s transportation system know it is not up to par, and hasn’t been for some time. “Their patience has really been surprising to me as to how they’ve endured the system that we have and there’s clearly room for improvement,” he said.

So is this bill riding to the rescue or is it more of a long-term play?

“In my view it should not be viewed as a coming-to-the-rescue thing. Transportation is something that frankly never goes away as an issue and a big part of why it’s more pressing now is because over a long period of time over several administrations, several legislatures, not enough attention was paid. We are trying to do two things at once, which is make up for lost time, and that in part requires the extra effort now, and to get people accustomed to the fact that you can never go away from it. You can’t deal with this issue and say, ok we’ve done it, let’s move on to something else. Transportation always requires care and feeding.”

State revenues are soaring right now, so why is more money needed for transportation? Can’t we just use existing revenues?

“If times are good, it’s not a reason to say we don’t need to plan for the future. If anything, it’s the best time to plan for the future, when we’re not in financial crisis.”

Is the House proposal the first of several transportation revenue measures? The bill itself would create a commission to set in motion a statewide tolling plan and DeLeo said he sees the transportation bill as a bridge to passage of a constitutional amendment creating a millionaire tax, which would also bolster transportation spending.

Straus said House leaders crafted the bill with the knowledge that other revenues sources may come on line in the future. He said the bill has been criticized by some for being too timid in raising revenues while others have attacked it as overly aggressive. “That suggests to me we’re getting it just right,” he said. “In raising money, the sky is not the limit.”

Why are you raising taxes on businesses? Shouldn’t transportation charges be placed on transportation users?

Straus said the House’s decision to raise the minimum corporate income tax grew out of meetings with members, who felt transportation was a shared responsibility and businesses should do their part. “Your public transportation system, whether it’s the roads or the mass transit opportunities, these are like public utilities where taxpayers provide them to individuals for private uses but also for businesses. So the transportation system that exists, and when it’s as high quality as it should be, that is a business asset,” Straus said. “The corporate minimum tax is a proxy, imperfect but not a bad one, that reflects a level of business activity.”

The bill proposes no increase in the existing 20-cent fee for shared ride-hailing trips, while increasing the charge to $1.20 for single trips and $2.20 for luxury trips. The bill prohibits ride-hailing apps from passing along the higher fees to customers. Why aren’t Uber and Lyft to pass the higher fees along to customers? Isn’t the idea to incentivize riders to choose better options?

Straus said there are two parties to ride-hailing transactions – the customer and the ride-hailing apps themselves. He said the House bill attempts to incentivize the apps – Uber and Lyft – to find a way to steer their customers to shared rides. “These are highly innovative companies,” Straus said. “So when we say we are providing a cost incentive to the businesses that it will cost them less when passengers take shared rides, it is our way of saying we want to provide a creative incentive for them in making or expanding access to the shared rides.”

Can they sidestep that provision by just saying they are raising prices unrelated to the new, higher fees?

“It’s an economics question,” Straus said. “As long as there are two or more of these firms out there, the competition is their motivation not to outprice themselves. I know plenty of people who, when they’re about to take an Uber or a Lyft ride, open on their phone both apps and measure right down to the, sometimes the 25-cent charge, who’s going to be less on this particular trip.”

The bill extends the life of the existing MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board, which is currently scheduled to expire June 30.

Straus said House leaders wanted to get this debate rolling now and not wait until the budget is resolved, as Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed. Straus sounded flexible on whether the board should be expanded and who should be included as members. “We have deferred that decision on expanding, frankly, to see what the membership’s interest is in that nitty gritty type of decision during floor debate next week. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if there are floor amendments directly on that issue of how specifically the size of the extended control board would look and who are the constituencies they would represent.”

Do you advocate for any specific projects in this bill?

Straus said such decisions are left up to the governor and the Legislature working together, but he listed three projects for which this funding is intended – the I-90 Allston interchange project, the extension of the commuter rail system west of Worcester, and South Station expansion.

Baker doesn’t seem to like the bill very much.

Straus noted the governor has acknowledged the transportation system needs more money, both by proposing a hike in ride-hailing fees himself and by backing a transportation climate initiative that could raise the price of gasoline significantly. “So he has said lots more money is needed for transportation. He may not appreciate this, but I consider him an ally in getting more money into the transportation system as soon as possible.”

BRUCE MOHL

Massachusetts is facing a transportation crisis. We can fix this. This week, the Massachusetts House will debate landmark legislation to reform and revitalize transportation all across the Commonwealth. Your voice matters, so please take action today at t4ma.org/takeaction.

BEACON HILL

Shira Schoenberg explores Beacon Hill’s secretive committee hearing process, where votes on legislation are only sometimes disclosed. (CommonWealth)

Sports betting legislation is in play on Beacon Hill. (State House News)

Raising ride-hailing fees is a bad idea, says Christina Fisher of TechNet, whose members include Uber and Lyft. (CommonWealth)

The Eagle-Tribune takes a closer look at the Massachusetts House’s plan to raise the gas tax.

The Boston Herald spotlights high salaries at Massport, where almost 40 employees earn more than $200,000 a year, and suggests some of that money could go to help the MBTA or other state transportation needs.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

After years of duress, the residents of Pocasset Mobile Home Park are at odds over whether to accept new ownership or take the park over themselves. (Cape Cod Times)

The Lynn Inspectional Services Department shuts down construction of a five-story building after numerous code violations turned the project into a fire hazard. (Daily Item)

The number of homeless and unaccompanied youth in the state soars, even as many go uncounted. (WGBH)

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

US Rep. Seth Moulton talks about coronavirus and college costs at a Rockport town hall. (Salem News)

ELECTIONS

Pete Buttigieg ends his presidential campaign Sunday night (AP), after Tom Steyer dropped out Saturday night (MassLive) Their moves came after Joe Biden’s commanding victory in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, a win that breathed new life into the former VP’s effort to position himself as the moderate alternative to Bernie Sanders. (Washington Post) New York Times columnist David Leonhardt says the Democratic contest now comes down to “Bernie or Biden. Period.”

Gov. Charlie Baker is waging an intra-party battle with conservative Republicans for control of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, whose seats will be up for grabs on Tuesday’s primary ballot. (Boston Globe) Meanwhile, progressive Democrats in Boston are trying to replace some Democratic ward committees with slates of more liberal-leaning activists. (Boston Globe)

The Boston Herald endorses Michael Bloomberg and President Trump in tomorrow’s Democratic and Republican presidential primaries in Massachusetts.

Christian Wade profiles Bill Weld’s long-shot presidential bid at The Salem News. Meanwhile, The Springfield Republican endorses Weld in the GOP presidential primary.

US Rep. Richard Neal endorses Elizabeth Warren for president (Politico) as Bernie Sanders rallies in Springfield (MassLive) Actress Susan Sarandon campaigned for Sanders in Worcester (Telegram & Gazette).

Margaret Monsell shines a light on the dark money behind the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. (CommonWealth)

Sen. Ed Markey has been there for TSA workers, says Mike Gayzagian, the head of the local union. (CommonWealth)

Joe Kennedy still enjoys a lead over Ed Markey in their US Senate primary tilt, but his margin is now 6 points, 42-36, in a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll, which is within the survey’s margin of error. (Boston Globe) Kennedy skips a North Andover Democratic Town Committee breakfast, where he had been scheduled to cross paths with Markey. (Eagle-Tribune)

Former Worcester mayor Raymond Mariano calls for term limits for state and federal offices. (Telegram & Gazette)

IMMIGRATION

A new report says Immigration and Customs Enforcement is increasing the number of detainers it is issuing in Massachusetts — bucking the national downward trend. (CommonWealth)

A federal judge ruled Ken Cuccinelli was appointed unlawfully to head US Citizenship and Immigration Services, a decision that voids a number of his decisions. (WBUR)

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

All eyes are on the stock market today, and Larry Edelman says the worst is yet to come as coronavirus fears batter the global economy. (Boston Globe)

EDUCATION

A Globe editorial rips Boston school superintendent Brenda Cassellius’s resistance to major changes in the city’s exam school admissions policies.

HEALTH/HEALTH CARE

Two Rhode Island residents returning from a trip to Europe test positive for the coronavirus. (Associated Press) UMass Amherst has suspended its study abroad program in Italy. (MassLive) A second person dies from coronavirus in Washington state. (AP) UMass Memorial Health Care has a task force preparing for the arrival of coronavirus. (Telegram & Gazette) Some Haverhill residents are being monitored at home. (Eagle-Tribune)

Pharmaceutical company pays nearly $12 million for Medicare kickback scheme. (MassLive)

ARTS/CULTURE

Globe writer Jeneé Osterheldt says Boston was wrong to reject Steve Locke’s plan for a sculpture documenting the slave auctions that took place in the city. (Boston Globe)

The centennial of women’s suffrage holds a special place in South Coast history. (Standard-Times)

TRANSPORTATION

Andrew Jennings, a retired transportation consultant, says cooperation is the key to addressing the region’s transportation voids. (CommonWealth)

Downtown Brockton adds 157 parking meters much to the delight and chagrin of residents. (The Enterprise)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

A judge sides with prisoners at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center on attorney access. (CommonWealth)

A judge rules the state is not liable for an attack on a youth at the now-shuttered Casa Isla facility belonging to the Department of Youth Services. (CommonWealth)

A Globe editorial says the recent state task force on “emerging adults” in the criminal justice system made a strong case for raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds, even though, as CommonWealth reported last week, the task force itself punted on making a recommendation.

A federal judge ordered Boston-based Thornton Law Firm and a New York firm to pay back $15 million in fees collected by improperly inflating their bills. (Boston Globe)

MEDIA

Ben Smith, the former BuzzFeed editor recently named media columnist for the New York Times, dispels any fears that he’ll pull punches as his inaugural column’s headline declares that his new employer’s success “may be bad news for journalism,” with the Times exhibiting the same rapacious instincts as Google or Facebook as it threatens to devour its media competition.

The Boston Globe continues to make impressive gains in digital subscriptions, while its print circulation keeps on slip-sliding away. Don Seiffert of the Boston Business Journal has the numbers along with some thoughts from Northeastern media professor Dan Kennedy.