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State Representative Patti Fritz
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8237
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
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HOUSE PASSES COMPROMISE TRANSPORTATION BILL
St. Paul, MN – In a spirit of compromise and resolve, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a comprehensive transportation bill on Thursday that addresses state and local transportation needs with a balanced and reasonable funding plan.
"This bill represents a true compromise between both parties, and has the support of numerous civic, agriculture, and business groups – including the Chamber of Commerce," said Rep. Patti Fritz (DFL-Faribault). "We came into this session prepared to solve some of the significant issues facing our state – crumbling roads and bridges, a lagging job market, and rising property taxes. This bill addresses all of those."
The transportation bill invests $6.6 billion in state highways and bridges over the next 10 years. It includes $10 million for rural road safety, the hiring of 40 additional state troopers, $650 million to repair bridges, and a tax credit for the lowest income individuals. It is expected to create as many as 33 thousand jobs a year for the next five years, and will help local communities lower property taxes by funding local roads and bridges.
The bill is funded by a phased-in gas tax increase, a responsible amount of borrowing - paid for by a tax surcharge, and dedicating the leased motor vehicle sales tax to transportation, among others. It also includes a ¼ cent metro sales tax dedicated to transit in the metro area.
"Just this week, the Legislative Auditor confirmed what I have believed since I first came into office and served on the transportation committee," said Fritz. "Our state is not investing enough money into our transportation system, and as the result, the condition of our roads is deteriorating, making them unsafe to travel on and threatening our economy."
According to the Auditor's report, for the past four years, MnDOT has failed to meet its own road quality goals, and has also consistently scheduled more state trunk highway projects than it could deliver given the available funding.
"This helps explain why we have waited so long for highways 14 and 60 to be finished," said Fritz. "And, we all know how bad the roads and bridges are in our area. When I look at MnDOT's map of our district, it is filled with red –we have some of the worse road conditions in the state."
The bill is expected to be vetoed by the Governor, but Rep. Fritz is very optimistic that the votes are there for a veto override.
"There is growing consensus among legislators and citizens alike that the time is now to get this done," said Fritz. "The real value of a sound transportation bill is that we don't just want better roads and bridges, we need them – to shorten our busy days, to help our businesses thrive, and most importantly, so we can all arrive at our destination safely."
News Items
- STATE REP. PATTI FRITZ PARTICIPATES IN START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:32PM)
- Rep. Fritz: Homeowners, Farmers Need Property Tax Relief - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- Rep. Fritz: Let’s Vote on a Bonding Bill that Benefits All - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
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