It should come as no surprise to any Louisianan that the state consistently ranks near the bottom when it comes to infrastructure. When traveling the state, it becomes clear that every parish seems to need a road or bridge repaired. Fortunately, State Representative Mark Wright has a bill this coming session that aims to bring more money to infrastructure projects without raising a single taxpayer dollar.

There is a constant need for money to clear the backlog of infrastructure projects in the state. Louisiana currently has a gas severance tax that is supposed to be deposited into the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) and used for infrastructure projects, however, those tax dollars are being siphoned off and used on non-infrastructure related costs.

The TTF’s appropriation process is in desperate need of restructuring, so the gas tax money can be used for its original purpose: maintaining our state’s roads and bridges. By passing Rep. Wright’s HB40, the Legislature would be able to increase the money appropriated for infrastructure projects without raising taxes.

Infrastructure has an impact on everyone’s quality of life. Aside from just impacting the movement of people, goods and services, the quality of our infrastructure also affects the ability to attract new jobs and industries to our state. Louisiana can and must prioritize infrastructure spending without raising taxes. By passing HB40, the legislature can send a strong signal to entrepreneurs and workers that Louisiana is serious about attracting new jobs and opportunity.

For more information on how we can modernize roads and infrastructure in Louisiana click HERE