WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Virginia stands to see a whole lot of road construction in the next six years under the new transportation bill approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure sitll faces Senate approval, but looks to be headed toward passage.
It’s a victory in the mind of Congressman Evan Jenkins of West Virginia’s First District.
“This will mean hundreds of millions of dollars to West Virginia over the years ahead,” he said. “It will get projects like the King Coal and Coalfields Expressway back on track.”
Enough House Democrats reluctantly went along with the plan to get it passed, but wanted to increase the federal gas tax which hasn’t been raised in 24 years. A study revealed the spending power of the gas tax is significantly diminished by the rate of inflation, but Jenkins defended holding the line on the tax.
“I’m just not a tax increase kind of guy,” he said. “What we’ve been able to do is come up with other revenue sources to fund the much needed highway bill without having to raise taxes.”
The alternative revenue sources fund it for three years, but Jenkins believed it was a huge step in the right direction after 35 consecutive stop gap spending measures with no bill in place. He vowed the last three years will also eventually be funded.
With the bill in place, it’s up to the state to meet their obligation to draw down those dollars. It will be a tricky proposition at a time when severance tax money in West Virginia has put the state budget in reverse.
“There’s no question it’s a partnership and there are responsiblities for each partner,” he said. “I ran on and have worked for these first 10 months in Congress with a passion to get a properly funded multi-year highway surface transportation bill. We are going to get that done, so yes there is a responsibility on the state.”