Highways Still Waiting for Congress, State to Act
Taking matters in our own hands
By Steve Brawner Contributing Writer
The American Trucking
Associations’ chief lobbyist and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department’s director agree that Congress must create a solution that sufficiently funds highways at the national level. Meanwhile, in Arkansas, trucking executives were the first to hear that Gov. Asa Hutchinson had signed an executive order to create a working group to study the state’s high- way funding issues. Chris Spear, American Trucking
Associations’ senior vice president, legislative affairs, and Scott Bennett, AHTD director, offered their insights at the Arkansas Trucking Association’s Annual Business Conference & Vendor Showcase April 30. That same day, Hutchinson
announced at the conference that he had signed an executive order creat- ing the Governor’s Working Group on Highway Funding, which will make recommendations by Dec. 15. The 20-member group includes Bennett and Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton. The working group was created as a
result of the state House Committee on Public Transportation passing a bill by Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, that would have dedicated to highways some of the state’s general revenues, which traditionally have been used for other needs. Hutchinson was opposed but agreed to appoint the working group, and Douglas pulled the bill. Bennett was pleased to hear about the working group. “I’m really, really
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 3 2015
“THIS HAS TO GET DONE THIS YEAR. WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE SAY
REALLY MATTERS THIS YEAR IN WASHINGTON.”
—CHRIS SPEAR, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS
happy that he took this step,” he said in an interview after his speech. “I think it shows a lot of leadership on his part, and it shows that he really does recog- nize what the problem is, and he wants to make a difference.” The day of the speeches, the federal
highway bill, MAP-21, was within a month of expiring on May 31, while the federal Highway Trust Fund was within a few months of being empty.
FRUSTATION WITH WASHINGTON Spear expressed frustration with
Congress’ inability to find a long-term highway funding solution. Congress extended MAP-21 last year shortly before it was set to expire with a 10-month, $10.8 billion funding patch paid with revenues from the next 10 years. This year, Spear expects Congress to again find a short-term extension that would buy time to create a longer term deal. Spear said the ATA hopes to see a $72 billion package but would prefer $110 billion. Whatever happens, it must be passed by the end of this year
American Trucking Associations’ chief lobbyist Chris Spear provides a link to Washington and forecasts how Congress might act on highway funding
before the 2016 presidential election shuts everything down. Otherwise, he doesn’t expect a highway bill until the end of 2017. “This has to get done this year,”
he said. “What we do and what we say really matters this year in Washington.” The lack of certainty coming from
Washington is forcing the AHTD to change its plans, Bennett said, because federal funds make up 56 percent of the department’s revenue stream (com- pared to 36 percent in 1993) and 70 percent of the state’s construction dol- lars. Every month, the department pays $70 million to contractors with the expectation that it almost immediately will be reimbursed $50 million by the federal government. With the federal Highway Trust Fund almost empty, the
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