opposition to 26RS House Bill 370 (HB 370)

01/18/2026

Dear Senator / Representative [Last Name],

I am writing to formally express my strong opposition to 26RS House Bill 370 (HB 370) and to urge you to vote against this legislation due to the severe and disproportionate harm it will cause to Eastern Kentucky, a region already facing long-term economic distress.

While HB 370 is presented as a transportation funding measure, its real-world impact would function as a regressive tax increase on rural and low-income Kentuckians, particularly those living in Eastern Kentucky where transportation is not optional, but essential for survival.

Eastern Kentucky lacks viable public transportation infrastructure. Residents must drive long distances for work, medical care, groceries, education, and basic services. Increasing fuel taxes and vehicle-related fees in this region is not a matter of convenience—it directly raises the cost of accessing necessities. Families here cannot simply “drive less” without losing access to employment or healthcare.

HB 370’s fuel tax increases and automatic indexing to construction cost inflation would place a permanent and escalating financial burden on households whose wages already lag behind state averages. Many workers in Eastern Kentucky commute significant distances daily, and even modest fuel increases take a larger percentage of their income than in urban areas. These costs will continue to rise regardless of whether wages do.

Additionally, the bill’s increases in vehicle registration, title, licensing, and reinstatement fees punish residents who rely on older, high-mileage vehicles because they cannot afford newer ones. For many families, a single added vehicle cost already forces impossible choices between fuel, food, utilities, insurance, or medical care. HB 370 adds new penalties at every stage of vehicle ownership, making economic participation harder rather than easier.

Small businesses in Eastern Kentucky will also suffer. Local economies here depend on independent contractors, tradespeople, service workers, agriculture, and small logistics operations. Higher fuel and equipment costs reduce already thin margins, force price increases customers cannot afford, and discourage new business formation. As transportation costs rise, consumer spending drops locally—accelerating business closures, job losses, and population decline.

The bill’s increased heavy equipment and motor carrier surtaxes further undermine Eastern Kentucky’s ability to attract job-creating projects. Infrastructure development, energy transition work, and regional construction efforts become more expensive, making the region less competitive and discouraging outside investment.

Finally, indexing these taxes to inflation removes legislative accountability and locks Eastern Kentucky into automatic future cost increases, regardless of economic downturns, natural disasters, or job losses. Our region does not recover at the same pace as urban areas, and these automatic escalators would institutionalize long-term economic disadvantage.

In short, HB 370 does not simply fund transportation—it extracts resources from the poorest and most transportation-dependent communities in the Commonwealth, accelerating decline rather than supporting recovery.

For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to oppose HB 370 and instead support transportation solutions that are equitable, regionally fair, and do not impose regressive costs on Eastern Kentucky families and businesses.

Thank you for your time and for your service to the people of Kentucky.

Sincerely,

Ray Ratliff

Ashcamp, Kentucky