Senate Trying To Making Progress On Finding A Way To Fix Missouri's Bridges [View all]
Missouri senators believe they’re making some headway to finance repair of bridges throughout the state. But it’s not necessarily a slam dunk.
The sticking point is conservative antipathy toward taking out debt to pay for one of Gov. Mike Parson’s key priorities.
Parson announced during his State of the State speech a plan for selling $350 million in bonds that would repair 250 bridges. It was his way of trying to bolster the state’s transportation infrastructure after Missouri voters rejected a gas tax hike last year.
But Parson’s plan hasn’t been well received by some in his party. House Republicans are backing a proposal that would devote $100 million for several years to pay for bridge repairs. Some Senate Republicans, like Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, like that approach because it would save the state millions in interest payments.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/senate-trying-making-progress-finding-way-fix-missouri-s-bridges