House subcommittee backs $649.3 million DOT budget, rejects Parks Highway weigh-station staffing add

The House Transportation Subcommittee adopted a draft fiscal year 2026 operating budget recommendation for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) on Tuesday and rejected an amendment to pre-fund six weigh-station positions for the Parks Highway.

Representative Hannon, chair of the House Transportation Subcommittee, presided over the meeting and said the subcommittee would conclude work on the DOT&PF budget and consider amendments before forwarding recommendations to the full finance committee.

For the record, Tim Clark, staff to the chair, summarized the subcommittee report: “The subcommittee report includes $122,719,900 in unrestricted general funds, $52,132,300 in designated general funds, $468,824,000 in other funds, [and] $5,599,900 in federal funds. The grand total is $649,276,100.” Clark also said the proposal represents an increase of 0.1% in unrestricted general funds over the adjusted base and that the difference equates to $114,600.

The report lists staffing across the department as 2,334 permanent full‑time positions, 223 permanent part‑time positions and 96 temporary positions, for a total of 2,653 positions. The subcommittee accepted the administration’s budget items and added one personnel item (item 7 in the BA report): at a cost of $114,600, the report adds one vehicle inspection position at the northbound Richardson Highway weigh station to expand operations there. The subcommittee also included intent language recommending the department fill the Northern Region director position, which the report said is currently held in an acting capacity.

Representative McCabe moved Amendment 1, a separate, larger proposal to fund six full‑time positions (PCNs) and related authority intended to staff a weigh station on the Parks Highway between Houston and Willow. McCabe said the amendment would provide $705,500 from unrestricted general funds and capital improvement project planning to place staff in position when a future station became operational, citing anticipated trucking growth tied to potential LNG development and other traffic increases on the Parks Highway.

Supporters argued the Parks Highway has a long stretch — several hundred miles — with no weigh stations and that overweight commercial vehicles damage pavement and threaten safety. Representative Kerrick described her earlier, smaller addition as “a really conservative budget amendment” and said the single Richardson Highway position would meaningfully aid commercial‑vehicle compliance in the north.

Opponents said the amendment would pre‑fund positions for a facility that does not yet exist and questioned the timing given the state’s budget gap. Representative Stutes asked where the nearly $1 million would come from amid a large shortfall; other members noted the capital cost to construct a weigh station had been estimated by DOT at roughly $30.9 million (the estimate cited in committee was adjusted from a 2018 figure of $17 million and stated to reflect an 82% construction‑cost increase).

Representative Carrick questioned whether current carriers (Interior Gas Utility, for example) were presently hauling overweight loads on the Parks Highway; McCabe said she was not accusing any specific company of violations but pointed to testimony that multiple carriers and the projected LNG activity could increase heavy truck traffic.

The subcommittee held a roll‑call vote on Amendment 1. The transcript records Representative Moore and Representative McCabe voting yes and several members voting no; the tally reported by staff was two yeas and five nays and the amendment failed.

After concluding the amendment process, the subcommittee moved its draft DOT&PF operating budget recommendation out of subcommittee to the full legislative finance committee with the attached legislative finance reports. The legislative finance division was directed to make any necessary conforming or technical changes before the finance committee’s consideration.

Chair Hannon thanked subcommittee members, Legislative Finance staff and agency representatives, including Michael Partlow of the legislative finance division and Don Pinon of DOT&PF, and adjourned the meeting. The subcommittee said it expects to revisit the topic next January for additional depth and follow‑up.