A state legislative committee has modified and passed Gov. Bill Haslam’s transportation bill. Those in the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee, who passed the bill 7-1, say that residents will save more money on groceries in the future than paying for a gasoline tax hike. In the new bill a 6 cents a gallon gas tax hike would be spread over a three-year period with an increase of 10 cents in diesel. In comparison, the governor’s plan was for a 7 cents gas tax hike with a 12 cent increase in diesel. The food tax would decrease under the new legislation, from 5 percent to 4 percent.