Gov Wants to Kill Road Bill
Bill could kill funding for Frederick County projects
Gov. Larry Hogan today announced emergency legislation to repeal a transportation bill that went into effect July 1, 2016. The Governor's veto of the bill was unsuccessful.
"Due to an extremely flawed and biased scoring system implemented by the law, major priority transportation projects will be canceled in every jurisdiction in the state. Under the legislatively mandated scoring system, 66 out of 73 transportation projects are fully canceled," according to a press release from the Governor's office.
In Frederick County, those projects include: Capacity improvements on MD 180 & MD 351; improvements to US 15 between I-70 and MD 26; widening of MD 85 from English Muffin Way to Grove Road; widening of MD 85 from Crestwood to Spectrum Drive; and widening of I-70 to six lanes between Mount Phillip Road and I-270.
“Today I am here to announce that we will submit emergency legislation for our top priority for this legislative session, which is to push for the full and immediate repeal of this disastrous bill which will absolutely be responsible for the elimination of nearly all of the most important transportation priorities in every single jurisdiction all across the state,” said Governor Hogan in the press release. “It will wreak havoc on the entire state transportation system and usurp important authority away from local governments and away from the executive branch of state government, giving authority instead to lobbyists and special interest groups.”
“The repercussions of this law are quite simply disastrous for our state, and I can assure you that on behalf of our citizens, I will not stop fighting until this catastrophic bill is repealed,” the governor said.
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