Tuesday, the U.S. House passed an $ 11 Billion dollar highway bill. South Dakota State Senate Transportation Chairman Mike Vehle of Mitchell says the measure has some benefits but a long term solution to funding of the highway trust fund and planning is needed.
Vehle says the problem is that the funding mechanism in the House legislation is good only until May and that creates problems with Transportation Departments in all fifty states.
Vehle says future planning must be accounted for when passing funding for infrastructure so agencies aren’t doing crisis planning. He says that will happen at the county level and will impact farm to market shipments.
A similar highway bill is pending now in the U.S. Senate.