Senate Committee Approves Measure to Increase Appropriations to ROADS Fund

The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a measure that would remove language requiring the Board of Equalization to certify three percent growth in the General Revenue Fund before appropriating $50 million to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, Senate author of House Bill 2551, said passage of the bill would fulfill a funding commitment to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and allow the state to make a more substantial investment to improve the condition of roads and bridges.

“If we truly want our state to be a viable destination for business and industry, we must make transportation funding a greater priority,” said Corn, D-Poteau. “With some of the nation’s worst roads and bridges, this is also a public safety issue. It’s time for us to get serious about transportation funding and commit to an effort to improve our infrastructure.”

The ROADS Fund was established in 2005, and all monies allocated to the fund are used for the construction and maintenance of state roads and bridges. Each year since the fund was established, the three percent growth trigger has prevented annual funding increases of $50 million.

“I’m pleased the measure has cleared another legislative hurdle and I’m confident it will have the support of the full Senate,” Corn said. “It’s time for us to realize that if we want to move our state forward, we’re going to have to make some investments and it needs to start with our roads and bridges.”