Senators urge more road funds than does governor

Lawmakers say system falling behind needs

By ERIK SCHELZIG, Tennessean.com
April 6, 2006

The Senate Transportation Committee wants to return full funding to Tennessee's highway fund, a move that administration officials said could lead to "severe" cuts elsewhere.

The committee voted yesterday to recommend that the Department of Transportation be given back the full $65 million road-building and maintenance fund that was cut in 2003 to help balance the state's budget. Gov. Phil Bredesen proposes returning only $22 million this fiscal year.

"The state is running an ever-increasing deficit in meeting the state's infrastructure needs," said Senate Transportation Chairman Mark Norris.

The Collierville Republican acknowledged that drawing the additional funding would affect other state programs.

"Those monies are going to have to be found, but it was the committee's thought that we should meet that need by recommending that full funding be restored," he said.

The recommendation was advanced to the Senate Finance Committee on a 6-2 vote.

Bredesen last year returned about $10 million to the highway fund on a one-time basis, and this year's proposal would involve $11 million in recurring funds and $11 million in one-time money, said Bill Bradley, the state's budget director.

If the committee's plan is approved, the state would have to cut nearly $55 million from other programs, Bradley said.

The governor would prefer to gradually ramp up the money heading back to the highway fund, he added.

"The governor has not set any particular timetable with me or anyone else, he just wants to let general fund revenue growth help us grow into the restoration, instead of making severe program reductions in social services, health and other programs," Bradley said.

Sen. Jamie Woodson bristled at what she perceived as a suggestion that a vote to restore the full highway fund was akin to endorsing other program cuts.

"The implication that as we view this budget that we are cutting essential programs I think mitigates our important stake in this process as elected officials ...," the Knoxville Republican said. "If (our role) is just to be a rubber stamp, we don't need to have the budget hearings."

Woodson is also chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, which has been criticized by the administration for recommending $28 million more for higher education than the governor has proposed.

The increases would help offset tuition increases, but the committee made no recommendations as to how the additional funding would be drawn.

Bredesen said the $22 million for the highway fund was "the best I could do." Transportation Commissioner Jerry Nicely said he supports the governor's budget proposal.

Some senators on the committee wondered whether the highway funds would be used to pay for the governor's plan to add $20 million in general revenue money to the pre-kindergarten program.

Bradley responded that the $55 million has become "embedded into a general revenue fund" and is used for a variety of purposes.

The state in 2003 cut about $37 million of tax revenues previously sent to local governments and the $65 million in highway funds to help fill a $200 million budget shortfall, Bradley said.

A measure working its way through the legislature this year would restore the local revenue.