Representative Patricia Morgan (R-West Warwick, Coventry and Warwick) is “just livid” as the vote on Governor Gina Raimondo’s tolling proposal is scheduled to come before the House Finance Committee tonight. She wants the vote postponed and the committee to consider additional testimony.

Morgan has been vocal in her opposition to the tolling proposal. Earlier this year she, along with the rest of the Republican Policy Group (RPG), hosted a rally in opposition, claiming there is enough money already in the budget to fix the state’s roads and bridges without instituting tolls. She believes that should the legislation be implemented it would be “very damaging” to Rhode Island as a whole.

Morgan argues tolls would force companies to move out of the state as well as discourage other businesses from growing and expanding into the state, causing Rhode Island to lose current and future jobs.

“Every Rhode Islander will be paying for this in a hidden, indirect tax,” Morgan said in a phone interview Monday morning.

She believes companies will increase their prices to make up for the difference created by tolls.

“You may not notice at first, but all of a sudden you will realize you’re uncomfortable financially, that it is just getting too expensive to live in Rhode Island,” she said.

Morgan is also distrustful and aggravated with the way in which leaders are handling the proposal. She said there have been other more “responsible and sustainable” options than tolls presented but that the governor, Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Paiva Weed are “refusing” to look into them.

“They’re being irresponsible,” Morgan said.

Similarly, Morgan is dissatisfied with the House Finance Committee, which denied her the opportunity to question director of Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti. She was asked by Chairman Raymond Gallison to hold her questions until the end, but the meeting was then adjourned before she got a chance.

“At that time, I again protested and was assured by Chairman Gallison that another hearing would be scheduled,” Morgan wrote in a statement released Monday. “Unfortunately, that commitment appears to have been tossed aside. The vote on the Governor’s Toll legislation has been scheduled without recalling the director to testify. This is not acceptable in an inquiry which purports to seek honest and thorough information.”

Now, Morgan is calling for a delay on the House Finance Committee’s vote until she is given her chance to question Alviti.

Morgan said there is too much that was left unanswered and the vote is being “rushed,” leaving legislators with incomplete information to properly vote in the citizens’ best interests.

She argues that legislation can always change and the promise that tolls will be restricted within their current parameters is a false one.

“You can’t trust the rehearsed talking points because they are built on shifting sand,” she said.

Morgan believes Ocean State Job Lot’s announcement to halt expansion of a distribution center in Quonset as only one example of what will happen should the proposal move forward.

Having met with executives from the company, Morgan said that Raimondo is being irresponsible to call the matter a “bluff” and not consider the implications for the state if this continues.

“Companies aren’t captive,” Morgan said, “and will be happy to move out of the state should policy changes negatively affect them in any way. I think she is desperate to pass tolls. She will do and say anything to pass this proposal.”