The average cost of gasoline in Nebraska was $3.24 for unleaded on Thursday. That's up seven-cents from a month ago and 60-cents from this time last year. Lawmakers are considering a plan that would add to the cost.

The State Department of Roads could lose millions of dollars in funding this year and one way to make up for that would require us to pay more at the pump.

This comes at a time when motorist Adrian Block of Omaha says, "Prices are totally outrageous right now." Andrea Mitteis echoes the sentiment saying, "they're too high," but Maureen Borman notes, "there's really nothing you can say or do about it."

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman says people in Nebraska can't afford to pay more in gasoline taxes. Currently, the fuel tax is 23-cents-per-gallon and it will rise 2.5-cents in July. The legislature wants to add another 4.5-cents on top of that.

Governor Heineman says, "We have rising health care costs, rising gas prices, food prices going up dramatically. Now is not the time to raise the gas tax."

Some senators in the legislature say the state needs the money for roads but the governor says there has to be another avenue.

"We need to continue, for example, have the federal government be a full partner not a limited partner," he says. "If they come through with funding we're expecting, frankly, we'll be OK for the next year."

With or without an extra gas tax many watch how much they have to spend out on the road.

Andrea Mitteis says. "I don't know what grade my car takes but I get whatever is cheapest."

Adrian Block has turned to bus service to save money.

The bill to increase the state's gas tax is still being debated in the legislature.