(AP) -- Hotel and motel visitors could be asked to chip in more money for some local convention and tourism bureaus under legislation approved by the state Senate. The bill approved by a 31-7 vote Wednesday in the Republican-led Senate would allow tourism bureaus to boost the maximum allowable room assessments on hotels and motels from the current 2 percent to up to 5 percent.
The measure now goes to the Democratic-run House. Supporters say the measure would boost the money available for local convention and tourism bureau marketing programs. But they expect not all regions would use the option to boost room fees for competitive pricing reasons.
The convention and tourism bill is Senate Bill 1515.
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