HF 4 redirects general funds from auto parts revenue to roads and bridges but fails to fund rail crossing improvements
ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota House passed an Omnibus Transportation Finance bill (HF 4) Tuesday on a 73-59 vote. HF4 would divert more than $300 million per year in General Fund revenue to a dedicated transportation account. This would remove resources from the general fund that have traditionally been used for education, health care, and other state government services.
The bill funds only $5 million for rail grade crossing safety improvements. There is a need for $243 million for high priority grade separations and $85 million for high priority at-grade crossings to protect the 326,000 Minnesotans who currently live within the one-half mile danger zone of railroad trains carrying crude oil.
Rep. Jerry Newton (DFL – Coon Rapids) cited the legislation’s failure to address urgent rail crossing improvements, like the Hanson Boulevard crossing, as one reason he couldn’t support the bill.
“There are 21,000 of my neighbors in Coon Rapids that would be affected by an oil train explosion. These trains already hinder the ability of emergency responders to do their job,” said Rep. Newton. “The Governor recognized this as an urgent problem when he visited the site, and that’s why he added it his list of bonding proposals. The $5 million for rail crossings in the Republican budget wouldn’t even cover one sixth of the cost of the Hanson bridge project ($34 million). Furthermore, the amount of unnecessary state borrowing in this bill is concerning to me because there should be a dedicated permanent funding stream to complete these transportation projects that impact all of us.”
Rep. Newton encourages community members to contact him on any legislative issue. He can be reached by email at rep.jerry.newton@house.mn or phone at 651-296-5369.
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