From the Texas Tribune:
“We say we have a $4 billion shortfall for budget for transportation. I believe it’s closer to $7 to $9 billion to do what we really need to do to be successful," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Larry Phillips, R-Sherman.
To help fill that hole, Phillips has filed a bill this session that would dedicate future motor vehicle sales taxes to road construction. Right now that money is sent straight to the state’s general fund, where it can be gobbled up by any state agency.
State Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, has the same bill in the Senate. Both phase in the shift to roads to soften the blow of removing $3 billion from other agencies.
“The way I described it, in a 10-year period it’s $13 billion, so $13 billion of new congestion-relieving projects could be on their way under development," Nichols said.
But that’s just one idea. Late last week, a constitutional amendment was proposed that would draw $3.5 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to set up an account that would dole out grants to leverage public and private money to get roads built.
Even Perry is calling for using Rainy Day Fund money to jump-start the state’s plan to catch up on roads. But not all of Perry’s supporters like the idea.
