Highway funding ideas aired

Commissioners, lawmakers man rural-conference panel

ROGERS -- Legislative oversight of a 5-year plan to increase funding for state highways doesn't infringe on the constitutional autonomy of the Highway Commission, a commissioner said Wednesday.

The Legislature last week approved a temporary funding bill that will give highways an additional $50 million a year for five years from state reserves and state general revenue such as sales taxes. The new money will allow the state to get more federal highway money. The governor signed the act into law on Monday. The state Highway and Transportation Department has an annual budget of about $1 billion, made up of state and federal funds.

Critics of the plan say it does nothing to address long-term, chronic underfunding of highways. Efforts to increase state sales tax on fuels were blocked at the special legislative session.

A 20-member Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee of the Legislative Council was also set up by the highway bill. The subcommittee will review how the Highway Commission spends the money allocated by the bill.

A legislative oversight committee does not appear to violate the independence of the Highway Commission, as established by Amendment 42 of the state constitution more than 60 years ago, said Commissioner Robert Moore of Arkansas City. The amendment made the commission largely autonomous.

The Highway Commission met Wednesday morning to attend a rural development conference hosted by the state Department of Rural Services. Commissioners, joined by a representative from the governor's office and Reps. Andy Davis, R-Little Rock, and Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, held a panel discussion. Davis sponsored the recently approved highway bill. Douglas is a long-time supporter of more state money for highways. The conference was held in the John Q. Hammons Convention Center.

The 64 years of autonomy for the Highway Commission has isolated it from the Legislature to the point lawmakers are unfamiliar with its priorities and the demands placed upon it, Davis said. The new subcommittee will hopefully be a contact point between the two bodies, he said.

Highway commissioners need to remember that their agency only receives 70 percent of state highway money, Davis said. The other 30 percent goes to cities and counties. The Legislature would have to increase highway funding by more than $140 million to get $100 million in new money for the Highway and Transportation Department.

Commissioner Frank Scott said attempts to divert more existing tax revenue to highways always results in a fight with other state agencies, and lawmakers should consider asking voters to extend a half-percent sales tax for highways that expires in 2023.

David Ray, state director of the group Americans for Prosperity, released a statement Wednesday afternoon on Scott's suggestion.

"Instead of 'having a discussion' about permanently extending the $1.8 billion sales tax hike of 2012, our public officials should instead have a discussion about how to fund our highways without digging into the pockets of Arkansas taxpayers for more of their hard-earned income."

Metro on 05/26/2016

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