First Regular Session

Sixty-second General Assembly

LLS NO. M99-0949.01 Gregg Fraser

STATE OF COLORADO

BY SENATOR Musgrave;

also REPRESENTATIVE May.

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 99-003

MEMORIALIZING CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH A BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY MONEYS, TO USE A UNIFORM MEASURE WHEN CONSIDERING THE DONOR AND DONEE ISSUE, TO ELIMINATE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, AND TO EXPAND ACTIVITIES TO COMBAT THE EVASION OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY TAXES AND FEES.

WHEREAS, Due to the dynamics of state size, population, and other factors such as federal land ownership and international borders, there is a need for donor states that pay more in federal highway taxes and fees than they receive from the federal government and for donee states that receive more moneys from the federal government than they pay in federal highway taxes and fees; and

WHEREAS, The existence of such donor and donee states supports the maintenance of a successful nationwide transportation system; and

WHEREAS, There should be a uniform measure when considering the donor and donee issue, and a ratio derived from the total amount of moneys a state receives divided by the total amount of moneys that the state collects in federal highway taxes and fees is a clear and understandable measure; and

WHEREAS, Demonstration projects are an ineffective use of federal highway taxes and fees; and

WHEREAS, All moneys residing in the federal highway trust fund should be returned to the states either for use on the national highway system or nationally uniform highway safety improvement programs or as block grants; and

WHEREAS, The state block grant program should allow states to make the final decisions that affect the funding of their local highway projects based on the statewide planning process; and

WHEREAS, Only a reasonable amount of the moneys collected from the federal highway taxes and fees should be retained by the United States Department of Transportation for safety and research purposes; and

WHEREAS, States with public land holdings should not be penalized for receiving transportation funding through federal land or national park transportation programs, and such funding should not be included in the states' allocation of moneys; and

WHEREAS, The evasion of federal highway taxes and fees further erodes the ability of the state and the federal government to maintain an efficient nationwide transportation system; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty­second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

(1)  That, when considering issues related to donor and donee states, the federal government should adopt a ratio derived from the total amount of moneys a state receives in federal highway moneys divided by the total amount of moneys the state collects in federal highway taxes and fees; and

(2)  That all demonstration projects should be eliminated; and

(3)  That after federal moneys have been expended for the national highway system and safety improvements, a state block grant program should be established for the distribution of remaining federal moneys; and

(4)  That it is necessary to expand federal and state activities to combat the evasion of federal highway taxes and fees.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Memorial be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of Colorado's delegation of the United States Congress.