The first increase in Iowa’s gas tax since 1989 went into effect March 1. It raised the tax by 10 cents per gallon — a 45 percent increase — in an effort to make up for a $215 million deficit in funds for Iowa roads and bridges. The tax is expected to raise about $200 million for Iowa’s infrastructure.

The bill to raise the tax passed both the Iowa Senate and the House on Feb. 24. It was signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad on Feb. 25. The bill was met with both bipartisan support and opposition in both the House and Senate.

While the increase in the gas tax may seem like a large jump for Iowans or maybe not a cure-all for the budget or Iowa’s infrastructure, it is certainly a step in the right direction for both the legislature and Iowans’ collective safety on the roads.

On the same day that the legislature voted to increase the gas tax, the Iowa Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers revealed its report card on Iowa’s infrastructure. Iowa’s roads received a C- from the organization, while the bridges in the state receive a D+ ranking.

But the bad news for the state did not stop there. The report card said one-fifth of the bridges in Iowa are “rated structurally deficient or posted with weight restrictions — ranking third highest in the nation.”

Opponents of the increase in the gas tax might say that the money coming from it would not be enough to truly fix all the problems with Iowa’s infrastructure and that a new plan should be developed that can handle these issues. After all, the projected revenue from the tax does not completely erase the expected shortfall in funding, leaving $ 15 million unaccounted for.

However, it is extremely important, if Iowa’s roads and especially bridges are in as poor of shape as reflected on the report card, that at least some action be taken. This new revenue from the gas tax will allow the state to begin repairing our roads and bridges to keep Iowans safe. Some immediate improvement is better than none at all.

In addition to a step forward in Iowa’s infrastructure, the gas tax bill was also a positive for Iowa politics as a whole. Both houses of the legislature came together in a bipartisan effort to pass the bill and help Iowans.

The bill saw support on both sides of the Senate with 16 Democrats and 12 Republicans voting in favor of the gas tax increase. The House saw much of the same bipartisan voting with 23 Democrats and 30 Republican in support of the bill.

No matter what one’s opinions of the gas tax may be, it is refreshing to see both parties coming together and working for the betterment of Iowans and our state.

Even though it may be a little more painful to fill up the gas tank at the pump from now on, rest assured that the extra cost will have a positive effect on our state.