Posted on 05/03/2007 5:51:58 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
AUSTIN — The House gave final approval Wednesday to placing a two-year moratorium on private toll road contracts, sending the bill to Gov. Rick Perry and setting up a showdown over the future of the state's transportation policy.
Perry had urged the Legislature to reject the freeze but has stopped short of promising a veto.
The House approved the measure 139-1, showing it has broad enough support that lawmakers could vote to override the governor if he tries to kill it. The Senate approved the bill 27-4 last week.
The Legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both chambers, but they must be in session to take that vote. The session ends May 28. Perry has 10 days to decide to veto the bill or let it become law, giving lawmakers plenty of time to react to a veto.
Perry has said the state's overburdened highway system needs public-private toll road partnerships to keep pace with the state's growing population and to attract business and jobs.
He also said the bill could jeopardize federal highway money, an argument some lawmakers dispute.
But growing opposition to Perry's proposed Trans-Texas Corridor — a combined toll road and rail system that would whisk traffic from the Oklahoma line to Mexico — have made some lawmakers nervous about the project. Cintra-Zachry, a Spanish-American consortium, plans to build the corridor in exchange for getting to operate the road and collect tolls.
Residents and lawmakers complain drivers will become hostages to the private companies, forced to pay increasingly hefty tolls.
Among the key supporters of the moratorium was Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, who was a vocal advocate for the corridor when he was a member of the Texas Transportation Commission. He even testified before lawmakers in 2005 that it is the best way to solve the problems of increasingly congested highways.
But Nichols has said he did not anticipate that the state would sign decades-long contracts handing over toll road operations to private companies. He and other lawmakers particularly opposed provisions of the contracts that restrict competition and make it hard for the state to end the deals early and "buy back" the toll road.
"This is landmark legislation for putting the needs of Texas drivers above the pockets of private shareholders," Nichols said.
But Perry has served notice he is seriously considering vetoing the bill that could derail his vision of corridors of toll roads crisscrossing the state that he first unveiled in 2002.
"I will review this bill carefully because we cannot have public policy in this state that shuts down road construction, kills jobs, harms air quality, prevents access to federal highway dollars, and creates an environment within local government that is ripe for political corruption," Perry said last week.
The moratorium includes exceptions for a few projects across the state. Those projects would be subject to scrutiny by the attorney general's office, the state auditor's office and the Legislative Budget Board.
The proposal also tightens controls on the comprehensive development agreements, reducing their maximum duration from 70 years to 40 years and allowing the state to buy back a project.
Additionally, the legislation gives local authorities more power over toll projects in their areas.
Many House lawmakers applauded when the bill was passed. The only dissenting vote was cast by Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, a Perry ally on toll roads and chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
Private toll roads bill heads to Perry's desk
AUSTIN — The House gave final approval to placing a two-year moratorium on private toll road contracts, sending the bill to Perry and setting up a showdown over the future of the state's transportation policy.
Perry had urged the Legislature to reject the freeze but has stopped short of promising a veto.
The Legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both chambers, but they must be in session to take that vote. The session ends May 28.
The House passed the moratorium 139-1. The Senate vote was 27-4 last week.
Growing opposition to Perry's proposed Trans-Texas Corridor — a combined toll road and rail system that would whisk traffic from the Oklahoma line to Mexico — have made some lawmakers nervous about the project.
Residents and lawmakers complain drivers will become hostages to the private companies, forced to pay increasingly hefty tolls.
HB 1892, which achieved Senate approval on April 27, slows down by two years the governor's plan to close the deal on the Trans Texas Corridor, a 50-year, statewide toll road-building project.
The bill, by Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, and sponsored in the Senate by Williams, passed 27-4. "No" votes were cast by senators who hoped to get started on plans to relieve traffic congestion, or wanted to keep all options active and on the table.
After the vote, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the Senate, said, "I believe privately financed road projects play an essential role in our transportation future."
But, Dewhurst added, a twoyear moratorium would give the people of Texas and lawmakers time to make sure such projects "actually work and benefit all Texans."
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
BTTT
Want to bet it gets a veto? The way I heard it, our 281 and 1604 are included in the moratorium!
Perry has alot of nerve talking about political corruption considering he stole the funds that were budgeted for the 281 flyovers.
When Texas voters get mad, they throw the bums out. The example of one-term governor Mark White still lingers in the memories of Texas legislators. He angered Texas teachers by implementing Ross Perot’s education reform measures and was turned out of office.
Wonder who will have to return money passed under the table from Cintas, the Spanish company who mysteriously got the contract for these toll roads? These deals don’t just spring to life spontaneously.
Perry only got around 40% of the vote last time.
He only won because the opposition was split between Chris Bell, Carole Strayhorn, and Kinky Friedman.
Translation: "We gotta keep the corruption here at the State level -- so I can continue to stuff my pockets!:
That is how I read it.
Thanks for the ping!
Many people like my wife chose ‘none of the above’ and he probably got about 35% of the total vote cast..
If Texas had a runoff he would be applying for a job as a subject for a beautician's college...
You’re welcome. :-)
FedGov has weighed in too. Threatening loss of highway funds if we don’t go along with this boondoggle.
Since most of the highways around here are toll roads, and the expansion of the rest is being financed by the bus company, loss of federal highway funds won't have much impact on me.
perry should not have been reelected.
this toll road scam has been going on for years.
i’m glad that texans have finally spoken up,
but they should have done so much earlier.
Looks like Perry has about 5 friends in the Legislature. I’d walk on eggshells if I were him.
The People of Texas have spoken.
The *BUS COMPANY* is funding local road construction??? Now THAT's creative financing!
While HOV lanes are the most visible use of transit system funds for road improvements, also look for fine print mentioning programs such as this: “Local Assistance – Local assistance is provided to eligible member jurisdictions in the form of technical and financial assistance to reduce traffic congestion and complement bus and public transit operations. “
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