The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber made it known Wednesday, their opposition to House Bill 2747.
They sent notice of such to Kansas Representative, Richard Carlson, Chairman of the House Taxation Committee
They indicated that they’re joining with Economic Lifelines and hundreds of other local Kansas communities in opposition to bill. They tell Carlson that Former Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller warned them last November that continued raids on transportation revenue stream would jeopardize KDOT’S obligations under the program.
Governor Sam Brownback has said that “the state should seek alternatives to another massive sweep of K-DOT in preparing a budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year.”
Senate President Steve Morris said he would oppose removal of future funding from KDOT in the fiscal year 2013 budget. “I’m against taking more, Morris said. “Highway plans are important in economic development and quality of life. We’ve got to have those projects go forward.”
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said the current 10-year highway program, left unaltered in budget or scope, would create an estimated 175,000 temporary or permanent jobs. There’s no better economic development than repairing roads, bridges and highways,’ Hensley said. ‘There’s no question we’ve raided the highway fund too many times. We need to stop doing that.” Economic Development needs long term stable policy. This seems too much like the Federal Government that planed to fund a bio-lab in Manhattan for years and now don’t.
Previously money has been taken from transportation to fill state budget gaps. This year there is no state budget gap. The sales tax money allocated for T-WORKS is being raided to support an income tax plan. The bill would not allow for the 4/10 cent transfer into KDOT in Fiscal Year 2014 and 2015 to fund T-WORKS. The reality is that the sales tax revenue is frozen, which impedes K-DOT’S ability to deliver projects as scheduled.
One of those projects is the 13-mile super two K-96 diagonal from northwest of Hutchinson to Sterling . In 2009, KDOT District 5 adopted this section of K-96 as its top priority and undertook extensive route analysis and planning. Officials say these 13 miles are the next logical extension of KDOT’s major corridor modernization effort involving US 400/K-96 in southeast Kansas, the K-96 by-pass around Wichita, the K-96 expressway from Wichita to Hutchinson and the K-96 Bob Dole bypass around Hutchinson.
There is a great deal at stake here for our region with the K-96 – Sterling project along with hundreds of other approved projects that Kansas cities and counties have been promised through T-WORKS. They say, now is not the time to go back on these commitments that have been made. They are urging the strong opposition to the bill.