Senate Finance hears transportation budget outline; Northern Lights Express funding largely canceled, targets met

Senators received an overview of Senate File 20‑82, the transportation budget bill, including how the bill meets a negative general‑fund target and several large trunk‑highway and federal funding items.

Sponsor overview and targets Sen. Dibble told the committee the transportation bill was drafted to meet a general‑fund reduction target of about $227 million in fiscal 2026‑27 and about $132.4 million in 2028‑29. He described the major assumptions used to meet the negative target: pausing the previously planned migration of a portion of auto‑parts sales tax revenue to transportation purposes, partially reducing (but not entirely eliminating) prior Metro Transit general‑fund support, and canceling or delaying some previously enacted appropriations.

Major appropriations, cancellations and revenue changes - Northern Lights Express: the committee carried a cancellation of most of the previously enacted FY2024 general‑fund appropriation for the Northern Lights Express passenger‑rail project (cancellation of $185.7 million of an originally enacted $194.7 million), and a remaining small…