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SPOTLIGHT

State transportation budget passes in legislature, heads to governor

By Kayla Carter Smith, Policy Analyst
The Transportation Cabinet Budget, HB 241, received final passage on Tuesday, March 29.

The various state budget bills are making their way to final passage this week. Legislators will pass their priority bills by midnight on Wednesday in order to preserve their ability to override vetoes for any bills the Governor rejects after legislators leave for veto recess until April 13. Items of interest to counties in the Transportation Cabinet Budget (HB241) are explained below.

The transportation budget is currently awaiting a signature or veto by the governor, or he can choose to take no action, and it becomes law within ten days. The final two days of the session are April 13 and 14. Stay tuned to kaco.org for a breakdown of all budget-related bills as they are passed.   

Matching Funds for Mega Projects

  • $250 million from the general fund in FY 2023 to match federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) exclusively for the Brent Spence Bridge Project in northern Kentucky, the Mountain Parkway Widening Project, or the I-69 Ohio River Crossing Project in Henderson. 

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

  • $17.3 million from the general fund in FY 2023 to match $69.4 million in federal funds from the IIJA for the Electric Vehicle Charging Program. 
  • Mandates the Transportation Cabinet to submit an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Development Plan to the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation on or before June 30, 2022. A federal condition of receiving the funds requires the state to submit the plan  to the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation by August 1, 2022.

Airports

  • $11.4 million in FY 2023 to provide $200,000 to each general aviation airport.

County Road Aid and Rural Secondary

  • $140.8 million in FY 2023 and $137.8 million in FY 2024 for County Road Aid. This is a 9 percent increase in the first year from FY 2022 budgeted County Road Aid ($129 million) due to an increase in gas tax receipts. 
  • $170.9 million in FY 2023 and $167.2 million in FY 2024 for the Rural Secondary Program. This is a 9 percent increase in the first year from FY 2022 budgeted Rural Secondary ($156 million) due to an increase in gas tax receipts. 

 

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