St. Paul –On Monday, March 23, 2015, House and Senate Republicans unveiled The Road and Bridge Act of 2015, a comprehensive 10-year, $7 billion transportation package that will fund infrastructure across the state without raising taxes.
Over the next ten years, the Road and Bridge Act prioritizes repairing or replacing 15,500 lane miles for all roads and 330 bridges statewide. The plan calls for the immediate repair of roads in Minnesota communities, highway improvements for commuters and commerce, and reliable, long-term funding for transportation infrastructure that doesn't require tax increases.
"Governor Dayton is calling for the largest tax increase in state history—more than $8 billion in new taxes to cover transportation improvements, when the state can fund our roads and bridges without taking more from hardworking taxpayers," said Rep. Brian Johnson (R-Cambridge.) "Investing in our roads and bridges is a top-priority for Minnesotans, but they also believe we should do this without raising taxes. The Road and Bridge Act is a commonsense, forward-looking proposal that meets transportation needs for communities of all sizes across the state, doing everything from filling potholes to helping alleviate traffic congestion."
The Road and Bridge Act of 2015 creates a special fund called the Transportation Stability Fund that collects existing proceeds from dedicated tax revenues and deposits them into accounts for each of their dedicated purpose. There are five accounts that would dedicate a combined $3.078 billion over ten years:
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Road and Bridge Account – revenue from existing sales tax on auto parts
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Metro Capital Improvements Account – revenue from existing sales tax on rental vehicles
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Small Cities Account – revenue from existing rental vehicle tax
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Greater Minnesota Bus Services Account – revenue from 50% of existing Motor Vehicle Lease sales tax
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Suburban County Highway Account – revenue from 50% of existing Motor Vehicle Lease sales tax
In addition to the dedicated funds provided by the Transportation Stability Fund, the Road and Bridge Act of 2015 uses $1.3 billion in Trunk Highway bonds, $1.2 billion from realigning Minnesota Department of Transportation resources, $1.05 billion in General Obligation bonds, and $228 million in General Funds.
Johnson can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4346. He can also be contacted via e-mail at rep.brian.johnson@house.mn, or via U.S. Mail at 421 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.
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