By Tyler Kane
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued an executive order to assemble a task force that will make recommendations to solve Louisiana’s $12.7 billion transportation funding backlog. The task force is one of many attempts to assess Louisiana’s transportation issues, including a $600 million funding shortfall that will begin on July 1. Read More>>
Largely due to delays caused by lack of funding, four major highway projects in Wisconsin have exceeded their budget allocations by a combined $700 million. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation also estimates that the cost of building the projects has increased by 25 percent over the past six years, emphasizing the importance for the state to eliminate future delays from highway projects. Read More>>
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) refused to call a special session to fix drafting errors in a recent tax bill, demanding legislators include a compromise bill to increase transportation funding. A bill that would have countered the state’s 20-year, $16.3 billion transportation funding shortfall died on May 22nd at midnight when the Legislative Session ended. Read More>>
Hundreds of transportation projects in Illinois are at risk of losing funding if the state does not pass its budget, which provides over $600 million in funding for municipal projects statewide. Without the revenue, projects could face significant delays. Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) plans to approve over $500 million in bond sale revenue benefiting transportation funding in an attempt to curtail the looming shortfall. Read More>>
During his ‘goodbye’ speech on June 15, retiring South Carolina Rep. Chip Limehouse (R-Charleston) had parting words for his colleagues: “Fix our roads… Stop playing around. Whether it’s a gas tax… get it and let’s do it, because our citizens are suffering.” Read More >>