Chairs Offer New Transportation Bill
Sen. Beall, Assem. Frazier Collaborate on New Proposal
Senator Jim Beall and Assembly Member Jim Frazier, chairs of the Transportation Committees in their respective legislative houses, have released details and legislative language on a long-awaited compromise that could help break the logjam over transportation funding. The proposal includes new revenue to help fix crumbling streets roads and bridges, and also reforms that can help ensure the money is spent efficiently and, as intended, on transportation projects.
The Beall-Frazier package would generate $7.4 billion annually in revenue to repair and maintain state highways and local streets, roads and bridges. Some of it would come from increased taxes and fees. Some would come from redirecting state funds back to transportation—funds that had been borrowed or redirected during the recession for other priorities.
“We still have to look at all of the details in this package,” said CSAC Legislative Representative Kiana Valentine. “But so far, it looks like it lines up pretty well with the concepts the Fix Our Roads Coalition, of which CSAC is a part, has been pushing for the past two years. It includes several sources of new revenue, and common sense reforms that can help move projects through the system faster and more efficiently.”
A one-page description is available here.