State Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, attempted to force a vote Tuesday on a bill promoting hybrid cars but was voted down.
Senate Bill 546 would give consumers a tax exemption if they purchased hybrid vehicles getting at least 40 miles per gallon. Parisi said if every car in the United States had this capacity, this would eliminate every drop of oil we import through the Persian Gulf.\
Parisi, who authored the bill, said it was ""imperative"" the bill be heard because the legislative session is drawing to a close, but the price of gas has risen to the ""extraordinary"" price of $3 per gallon.
""The fact is, state legislators don't have a lotof control over the price of gas,"" Parisi said. ""But one thing we can help control is the demand for gas. And if we can helpregular working-class people be able to afford highly fuel efficient vehicles, that can go a long way toward giving some people some relief at the pumps.""
Thomas Eggert, senior business lecturer at UW-Madison said creating a demand for hybrid cars would be good for the economy because it would cut the demand for petroleum, but the short-term consequences might put a damper on the U.S. automobile industry.
Parisi's attempt to discuss and vote on the bill was denied with a 55-38 vote.
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