The Minnesota House passed a ten year, $7 billion transportation bill this week that uses existing sales tax monies and does not involve a gas tax increase. The measure is far different than what the Governor is looking at. He wants a $6 billion bill, paid for by an increase in the gas tax. Minnesota Farmers Union’s Government Relations Director Thom Petersen says he expects an eventual melding of those bills into a final package that he hopes passes.
Petersen says transportation legislation needs to be passed to make sure the state has solid farm to market roads and bridges. He says lawmakers have their work cut out for them in coming to agreement on a final transportation bill as there’s only three weeks left in the session.
