By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com
Rhode Island’s House Republican Caucus has proposed an alternative to Governor Gina Raimondo’s proposal to toll out-of-state truckers to fund infrastructure projects in the state.
The Republican amendment announced Monday would take $60 million from the FY2016 budget and put it towards repairing the state’s bridges and overpasses. The money would prioritize the most structural deficient bridges first with existing funds rather than borrowing over $700 million to address every infrastructure project at once.
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“We believe [the Governor’s proposal] will hurt our economy; we think it costs too much,” said Representative Patricia Morgan.
“We will be spnding $236 to $45 million dollars every year for 20 years in interest; that’s money that goes to Wall Street not our bridges.”
The $60 million would be federally matched, but it would be up to the General Assembly to find the money every year and make the bridges a priority.
Governor Raimondo has repeatedly said Rhode Island ranks worst in the nation when it comes to roads and bridges, and that lagging infrastructure contributes to the lack of business interest in the state. She has also repeatedly pointed to economic impact her proposal would have on the construction industry if passed.
However critics in the trucking industry cried foul over the Governor’s proposal, saying it singles out a national industry which already pays its fair share in taxes and fees to do business.
The Raimondo administration has said Rhode Island is one of the only New England states which is not tolling truckers as they cross through the state.
Speaker Nicholas Mattiello shelved the Governor’s proposal for further discussion and possibly a special session vote after the FY2016 budget is passed.
