Governor Edwards says he’ll look closely at a bill that would gradually increase funding for roads and bridges by an additional 300-million dollars per year. Edwards is concerned that the money is coming out of the general fund, potentially creating shortfalls in other areas of state government, especially after federal coronavirus aid is spent
“If you make long term decisions thinking that bubble is going to last forever you’re making a serious mistake because it surely won’t.”
Supporters of the proposal say the state has made major investments in education, health care, and other areas while roads and bridges continue to deteriorate. But the governor is concerned about taking money out of the general fund to put towards roads, when the general fund will see fewer dollars in 2025. when a temporary sales tax expires…
“That’s 500 million dollars by itself, what I heard on the house floor today was an additional 300 million dollars would be taken out of the general fund so that’s 800 million that year alone.”
The transportation funding bill received overwhelming support in the House and Senate. Starting in 2023, it would begin to shift sales tax revenue from vehicle purchases from the general fund to another fund for highway projects. Edwards supports the idea of investing more dollars into roads, but not at the expense of other key government services…
“We’re going to continue working with the legislature to find a long-term viable solution to transportation infrastructure investments that don’t jeopardize our ability to fund critical investments.”
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