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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering a discount toll plan for truckers crossing the Hudson River, although the discount would only be for carriers that have made at least 100 off-peak trips during an E-ZPass billing cycle.

American Trucking Associations is urging Congress to swiftly pass a bill that would repeal the 12% federal excise tax on large trucks and trailer purchases and replace the sales tax with a 6.3-cent increase in the 24.4-cent federal diesel fuel tax.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) said Tuesday that a temporary extension will be unveiled as early as Wednesday and voted on next week in order to keep highway projects and public transit from shutting down at the end of March.

Congress has again delayed voting on a transportation reauthorization bill, with House Republicans saying they want to rewrite their bill and senators on Tuesday voting against a measure to limit debate and amendments to their two-year, $109 billion bill.

South Dakota last month became the 31st state to pass legislation protecting truckers from shipping contracts that require the carrier to shoulder all responsibility for accidents even though they may not be at fault.

Bills introduced in the New York and New Jersey legislatures that would eliminate independent owner-operators in major segments of the trucking industry.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has sent the legislature his proposal for imposing the state’s 6% sales tax on all motor fuel purchases — a plan that based on today’s prices could add nearly $40 in taxes every time a trucker fills up.

President Obama has included $330 million for programs to combat distracted driving in his six-year transportation spending plan, as part of the administration’s proposed 2013 budget.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are expected to vote as early as next week on their long-awaited transportation reauthorization bills.

The five-year, $260-billion surface transportation bill moving through the House of Representatives would prevent any federal Highway Trust Fund money from being spent on public transit.