The Senate’s transportation committee on Tuesday heard a bill to direct more existing gas tax funding to rebuild roads and bridges, continuing a years-long Republican commitment to fixing the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“The Constitution is quite clear: these funds must be used for highway purposes,” said Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson), chairman of the committee and author of the bill. “Our transportation infrastructure needs all the money it can get. Tourism, software, bikeways, or any of these other things should not be taking money away from rebuilding roads. These programs should be funded using the general fund or cut.”

Minnesota’s gas tax, motor vehicle sales taxes, and tab fees fund two of the state’s primary road funding accounts — the Trunk Highway Fund (THF) and the Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund (HUTDF). The Constitution mandates that these funds be used strictly for “highway purposes,” yet a number of programs and purposes unrelated to highways are funded from those accounts. 

Each year the state spends about $215 million in gas taxes and motor vehicle taxes on programs unrelated to roads. Sen. Newman’s bill would prohibit gas taxes and motor vehicle taxes from being used for those purposes and instead fund them out of the general fund. These programs include:

• Software
• Aeronautics
• tourist information centers
• historic roadside properties
• parades, events, or sponsorship of events
• bikeways
• commissioner’s office of DPS
• public electric vehicle infrastructure
• environmental stewardship office
• office of transit and active transportation
• passenger rail office
• office of equity and diversity
• MnDOT’s government affairs office

In addition, current law prohibits the HUTDF and THF from being used for BCA labs, Explore Minnesota Tourism kiosks, The Minnesota Safety Council, driver education programs, emergency medical services boards, Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and MN.IT services in excess of actual costs.