Dear Friends,
I joined Governor Dayton last Friday for a ceremony celebrating the expansion of Highway 14 from two to four lanes near Owatonna. As you know Highway 14 has long been a top priority for folks in our area, so it's great to see expansion along this crucial stretch of road finally become a reality.
It's my hope that next session we will see a transportation bill that funds the remaining expansion of Highway 14 that's needed and sets us on a sustainable path for road and bridge funding for the next decade and beyond. As Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee, I will keep working to promote our plan that invests $7 billion over 10 years and would replace 15,500 lane miles of road and 300+ bridges statewide. Rather than raising gas taxes, our plan uses a more sustainable source of funding by using existing sales taxes on things like car parts, auto repairs, and rental cars for a transportation stability fund that will help us keep up with our infrastructure needs.
I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of our transportation bill as we get closer to the 2016 session, which begins in March.
Have a great week,
John Petersburg
State Representative, District 24A