By Liz Sidoti
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Refusal by some Republicans to back a proposed increase in the gasoline tax has threatened to derail the $5 billion transportation budget that also raises vehicle fees to fund the State Highway Patrol and lowers the threshold for drunken driving.

Republicans, who control the House, postponed a committee vote Tuesday on the budget because of concerns about the six-cents-per-gallon gas tax increase and how the money it generates would be distributed to townships for roads. The current tax is 22 cents per gallon.

"Unless it gets Democratic votes, I don't think it's going to go," said Rep. Tim Grendell, a Republican from Chesterland who estimated that 22 of the 62 House Republicans did not support the bill.

He said he and fellow anti-tax Republicans don't like the timing of the gas tax and fee increases, given the tough economic climate and the possible war with Iraq.

"Car use is really not optional," he said. "Everybody would be affected by these increases."

Other Republicans on the House Finance Committee estimated that only about a dozen GOP members opposed the bill and said they were optimistic that the full House would vote on the bill as planned Wednesday.

"We'll get there," said Rep. Jim Trakas of Independence.

Senate approval still would be needed before the bill would go Taft.

Under the bill, the State Highway Patrol would be funded mainly by Ohioans through increased fees on drivers' licenses, vehicle registrations and titles. The patrol now gets most of its money from the gas tax, which nonresidents also pay.

Title fees and vehicle registrations each would increase $8 and drivers' licenses would rise $10 to raise about $182 million annually for the patrol.

The shuffle would free up gas tax money for cities, villages, townships and counties for road and bridge projects.

Trakas said a few Republicans were concerned about raising the drunken driving standard from 0.10 blood alcohol content to 0.08, as mandated by a 2000 federal law.