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Committee directs $292,000 in pilot receipts to Drive Electric during T bill markup
Summary
During T bill markup on March 18, committee members agreed in a straw poll to direct $292,000 in unspent pilot-fund receipts to Drive Electric, after debate over prior support, program functions and concerns about agency layoffs.
A legislative committee working on the T (transportation) bill on March 18, 2026, voted in a straw poll to direct $292,000 in unspent pilot-fund receipts to Drive Electric, a nonprofit that provides outreach, dealer education and statewide electric-vehicle data.
Representative Cork proposed using the unspent pilot-fund payment made available during last year’s negotiations. “That was accounted for in this year's budget … we were given … that we don't need to pay them back. So that's money on the table,” the representative said as the option was introduced for consideration.
Supporters pointed to last year’s allocation and the group’s role in encouraging EV adoption. “I think that would be a great thing to do. We’ve given them 325 last year. 290 sounds great,” Representative Burke said, arguing the organization provides public outreach, technical assistance and data that help dealers and consumers navigate EV purchases.
Some members expressed reservations about further state support for the EV sector amid agency staffing cuts. One lawmaker said they felt uneasy directing funds while the agency had recently conducted two rounds of reductions in force.
Committee staff proposed bill language that would explicitly direct the $292,000 from the pilot/receipts fund to Drive Electric; the chair called for a thumbs-up straw poll and counted six raised in favor. Committee members said the language would be included in the T bill for further consideration during final markup.
The motion reflected negotiations over multiple figures discussed in the meeting (members referenced $292,000, prior $325,000 and external requests of $325,000–$350,000), and members said they had asked for additional drafting and posting of language so the committee could review the full proposed changes before finalizing the bill.
Next steps: the committee included the proposed language in the posted T bill changes and planned to return after a break and a full walkthrough of the complete draft before final approval.
