Committee approves motor-vehicle fee package, boosting highway fund and funding winter maintenance

The Finance Division II approved an omnibus motor-vehicle fee and highway-fund package (amendment 1203H) that, as presented to the committee, is estimated to produce roughly $45 million in additional highway-fund revenue over the biennium and support prioritized department requests including winter maintenance, retention incentives and increased municipal highway block grants.

Committee staff summarized the package and the line-by-line adjustments. The proposal includes fee increases and other revenue adjustments; it also shifts certain costs between the Department of Safety and the highway fund (including a plan to replace some General Fund support for State Police accounting units with highway-fund dollars). The package includes a proposed $3 million-per-year shift to highway funds for State Police-related accounting units and partial funding for retention and winter maintenance needs at the Department of Transportation.

Representative Popovich moved the composite motion to adopt amendment 1203H together with the related highway-fund summary adjustments and the departmental items shown on pages 7–8 of the packet. He said the changes would move the highway fund from a projected deficit to an estimated surplus by the end of the biennium, noting the timing of some revenue measures would yield only 18 months of new revenue in the first year of implementation.

The committee approved the package on a roll-call/hand-count style voice vote; the clerk recorded 7 in favor and 0 opposed. Staff said they would “true up” the accounting lines (for example, highway aid to cities and towns) after all decisions were final and provide an updated surplus statement for the highway fund.

Votes at a glance: motion to adopt amendment 1203H and related highway-fund changes — passed (recorded as 7–0).