Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

Issue Position: Transportation

South Dakota's wide open spaces mean we need safe and reliable roads not just to connect our communities but also for the smooth flow of commerce. Increased investment in our roads and bridges also ensures that our agricultural producers are able to move their products to market. With my position on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I am working hard to ensure that South Dakota's transportation needs are met, and I will continue to fight for South Dakota's fair share of federal transportation spending - which comes from the federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel.

On August 10, 2005, the long-overdue Transportation Reauthorization Bill was signed into law. As a member of the conference committee, which was responsible for working out the differences between the Senate and House-passed bills, I was able to secure over $150 million worth of important transportation projects for South Dakota and a total of $1.3 billion in funding through 2009. This overall funding amount is a 30 percent increase compared to the previous highway bill. Most important is the fact that I was able to protect South Dakota's formula funding, which guarantees that our state's share of federal funding will not decrease over the next five years.

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