Groups from across the state gather at Capitol to Rally for Roads

In the final days of the 2015 session, supporters of a plan to stabilize the road fund gathered in the Capitol rotunda to urge lawmakers to pass a solution to the anticipated revenue decline.

Many groups, including the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, expressed the urgency for lawmakers to pass a bill as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet estimates the state’s road fund could lose $250 million, which would impact businesses across the state.

The Rally for Roads event Monday morning saw a gathering of people from across Kentucky concerned with the loss of revenue and how it will impact citizens and jobs across the state.

Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson discussed the fact that pending decline in revenue affects the business community as the conditions of our roads impact all aspects of business and economic competitiveness.

“There are 40,000 jobs directly related to the construction and maintenance of our transportation infrastructure in Kentucky, many of those jobs would be at risk if this legislation is not passed. So in that sense, this bill is a jobs bill,” Adkisson told the crowd. “On behalf of the business community of Kentucky, I am pleased to stand here with the local government officials, state government officials, industry folks and others who are here to say we’ve got to do the right thing, let’s pass this bill and stabilize the road fund.”

Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock explained that the gasoline tax is again set to drop on April 1 and that the drop with have virtually no effect on the prices at the pump but will cause major problems for the state’s road fund.

“For our transportation cabinet and for our cities and counties, the effects of a drop in revenue are immediate and drastic,” Hancock said.

Hear speeches from officials from across the state at the Rally for Roads in the video below:

Lawmakers decided on the final night before the veto period to strip House Bill 299 and use the bill as a vehicle to work on the issue. Legislators enlisted to serve on a conference committee to address stabilization of the road fund have been meeting behind closed doors to hammer out the details of the bill and the public has not yet been informed of a compromise.

To learn more about the issue, you can view an informational video about stabilization of the road fund here.