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Appropriations committee trims infrastructure grant pot to $25 million, adds study language
Summary
Committee amended House Bill 15-77 to reduce the proposed authorization from $50 million to $25 million and signaled plans to add a study of longer-term funding sources for infrastructure financing; the amended bill received committee approval.
The House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to reduce the authorization in House Bill 15‑77 from $50 million to $25 million and approved the bill as amended.
Representative Steeman moved a do‑pass on House Bill 15‑77; Representative Kempnick proposed amending the dollar amount downward and adding a study of longer‑term funding sources for infrastructure. Kempnick told the committee he wanted the amendment to "fund 2 projects and add a study on the funding on a longer term funding source than SIF."
Committee discussion focused on the permanence of funding and the need to coordinate with existing public‑finance mechanisms, including the Industrial Commission and potential USDA match opportunities. Members agreed the amendment narrowed the immediate outlay while acknowledging the state will need a longer‑term funding strategy for recurring requests of this type. The committee rolled on the amendment to reduce the line to $25,000,000; the clerk recorded the amendment as carried (21 yes, 1 no, 1 absent). The committee later recorded a do‑pass on House Bill 15‑77 as amended and designated Representative Steven to carry the bill.
Committee chairs said study language would be added in the second half of the session, placed either with the Industrial Commission or the Department of Environmental Quality depending on drafting and jurisdictional fit. Members stressed the amendment leaves intact per‑project caps in the underlying bill (for example, $12.5 million per project where specified).
