Accessibility menu
State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
Press/News Releases
HOUSE PASSES TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE
St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a comprehensive transportation bill on Thursday that will invest $6.6 billion into our state roads and bridges over the next ten years. The legislation is a balance between rural and metro needs, and between transit and highways.
State Representative Jeanne Poppe (DFL- Austin) said the bill represents a true compromise between both parties, and has widespread support among civic, ag, and business organizations - including the Coalition of Greater MN Cities, MN State Patrol Troopers Association, County and City Engineers Associations, MN Farm Bureau and MN Farmers Union, and the MN Chamber of Commerce.
"It is rare to have such a wide coalition addressing the problems and needs facing our state," said Poppe. "This bill was truly a compromise effort built with bipartisan deliberation, thought and discussion. I look forward to infusing dollars into our state's transportation system."
The transportation bill 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.
"Mower and Fillmore Counties have the most deficient bridges in the state," said Poppe. "The funding for local projects included in this bill will begin to change that."
"This bill is a responsible balance of borrowing and new revenue," said Poppe. "Over the last five years, the debt on MnDOT's trunk highway fund has increased by 650%. I support this fiscally responsible, pay-as-you-go approach that won't continue to pass this unfair burden on to future generations."
Rep. Poppe said a report released this week by the Legislative Auditor reinforces the urgency of the state's transportation system. According to the report, for the past four years, MnDOT has failed to meet its own road-quality goals, and has consistently scheduled more state trunk highway projects than it can deliver considering the available funding.
"MnDOT's own calculations show they will exhaust all of their resources by 2012 just to keep up with preservation," said Poppe. "This bill represents the best opportunity in over a decade to responsibly address our transportation crisis."
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. It will then be sent to the Governor for his signature or veto. "
We can't wait another year," said Poppe. "This bill makes real progress for our state's transportation and transit system, and is an opportunity that may not come along again."
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.