HCS HJR 7 -- TOLL ROADS

SPONSOR:  Koller

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Transportation by a vote of 12 to 8.

This proposed constitutional amendment establishes a Secretary
of Transportation, who will be in charge of the Department of
Transportation.  The secretary will be appointed by the Governor
with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The Highways and Transportation Commission will become the
Transportation Commission, and its members will be appointed by
the Governor to 6-year terms.  There will be 9 members, one
member from each Congressional district, with no more than 5
from the same political party.  The following people will serve
as nonvoting ex officio members:  Commissioner of the Office of
Administration; Director of the Department of Economic
Development; Director of the Department of Agriculture; and
Director of the Department of Natural Resources.  The secretary
must annually submit to the commission a statewide
transportation improvement plan for its approval or disapproval.

The amendment also eliminates the cost of fuel tax collections
and the cost of administering and enforcing state motor vehicle
and traffic laws from the list of eligible uses of
transportation funds.  The cost of Department of Transportation
employee fringe benefit programs may be paid from transportation
funds.

The Transportation Commission is given the authority to conduct
feasibility studies about toll facilities and to fund, design,
acquire, construct, maintain, reconstruct, and operate toll
facilities.

The amendment establishes the procedure and limitations for the
issuance, collection, and distribution of toll facility revenue
bonds or revenue refunding bonds for toll facilities.

When toll facilities have been paid for, all bonds retired, and
all transfers from the State Road Fund repaid with interest, the
facilities will become a part of the state highway system.

State toll facility revenue bond and refunding bond proceeds,
tolls, and other revenues derived from the establishment or
operation of toll facilities will not be considered part of
total state revenue, and the expenditure of the revenues will
not be considered an expense of state government.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Savings to Highway and
Transportation Department Fund of $0 in FY 2002, $92,741,400 in
FY 2003, and $158,985,300 in FY 2004.  Estimated Net Loss to
General Revenue Fund of $0 in FY 2002, $92,925,000 in FY 2003,
and $159,000,000 in FY 2004.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that tolls are another tool in
helping fix the transportation needs of Missouri.  Supporters
say 23 states have toll facilities.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Seigfreid; and
Sierra Club.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Robert Triplett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated November 26, 2001 at 11:47 am