Senator kills gas tax plan

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Senate is dropping a plan to raise the state's gas tax by one cent per gallon.

The money would have helped pay for the development of clean energy in Florida.

State Senator Jim King was pushing the bill, but he says the tax has created too much opposition to the legislation -- especially in the House. So he convinced a Senate committee to remove the tax increase from the bill.

Without the tax, the bill has a better chance of passing.

"The one-cent [tax] was something I felt was a good idea. The only reason I'm taking it out is because it makes it easier to pass this bill in the House and if we don't have something, the House is going to do nothing," he explained.

Senator King says federal stimulus money can pick up the tab for the bill.

It must past two more committee votes before it can head to the Senate floor for debate.