Vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with amendments and pass a bill that increases the state gas tax and makes changes to the highway priority program

Highlights:

• Requires that a prioritization process be created to allocate funds from the Department of Transportation to increase the efficiency of road construction and maintenance (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Transportation to provide the legislature and the public with a list of projects to be constructed in the upcoming fiscal year (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the projects included in the Highway Priority Program will be selected and prioritized based on the urgency of each improvement (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Transportation to publish yearly updates on the progress of projects (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that if 3 consecutive audits discover a substantial lack of compliance with spending taxpayer money, the Legislative Audit Advisory Committee will recommend action to the legislature (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the Department of Transportation from engaging in projects not listed on their yearly priority report to the legislature (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department to give notice to any legislator whose district will be affected by a highway lane closure or flow of traffic change before initiating the project (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text