GOVERNMENT RELATIONS


lobbying effort for permanent transpor- tation infrastructure funding. Working together, these construction industry stakeholders lobbied the Legislature and budget process for transportation- specific appropriations. As a result, the 2014-15 state budget appropriated $2 billion dollars in funding for transpor- tation infrastructure. High-speed rail, conventional rail, and transit projects received $1.3 billion, and only $700 million was left to address local roads and state highways. $700 million was appropriated,


Get out to Vote: Yes on Prop 69 in June I


By Felipe Fuentes, AGC Legislative Advocate


n 2014, the California chapters of AGC along with other industry stakeholders began a coordinated


tation infrastructure – highways, roads, transit systems and goods movement corridors – will enjoy an estimated $2.78 billion in 2017-18, $4.55 billion in 2018-19 and $4.88 billion in 2019-20. Once all revenue sources are fully implemented and adjusted to the Consumer Price Index, revenues are expected to reach $6.5 billion by 2026-27.


A YES vote on Prop 69 will ensure that


although our state highway system faces a $59 billion deferred mainte- nance backlog for road maintenance and repairs. Te total shortfall for local streets and roads maintenance averages over $7 billion annually. It is widely estimated that the entire backlog for local streets and state highways currently exceeds $130 billion dollars!


Sustainable Financing for Transportation


In 2015, the Transportation


California coalition (originally co-founded by AGC) began to formalize its strategy for a sustainable financing proposal for California’s transportation system. Te coalition grew into the Fix Our Roads (FOR) coalition, which included the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, among others. Transportation funding solutions and legislative proposals – having previously failed over several legislative sessions – were finally passed and signed into law on April 28, 2017. As promised to the transportation


industry by the governor and legislative leaders, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) revenues will provide funding that keeps up with inflation. California’s critical transpor-


6 May/June 2018


SB 1 funds can only be used for transportation improvement purposes.


Prop 69 As part of the conditions for AGC


support, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA 5) was also passed by the Legislature to place a ballot measure before voters that will prohibit the Legislature from borrowing or diverting these revenues for non-transportation purposes. On June 5, 2018, California voters will have an opportunity to extend constitutional protections to the revenues generated by SB 1 that aren’t currently protected. A yes vote on Prop 69 will ensure that these funds can only be used for trans- portation improvement purposes. Moreover, a YES on Prop 69 means:


 Proposition 69 protects existing taxes and fees we are already paying. It does not raise taxes.


 Passing Proposition 69 protects revenues dedicated to every city, county, and transportation agency in the state for repairing local roads and improving public transportation.


 Ensuring transportation revenues are dedicated to transportation projects will support hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs


Funding Priorities for SB 1 SB 1 revenues will be spent with


a “fix it first” goal to prevent further deterioration of our already fragile infrastructure. Transportation funding


priorities will include:  Repairing aging and deteriorating bridges, tunnels, and overpasses, as well as highways, freeways and local streets and roads.


 Paving over cracked and crumbling roads.


 Adding new lanes and making repairs to remove bottlenecks that cause congestion. As an active participant of the


coalition that passed SB 1, AGC is already engaged in protecting these funds as part of the campaign to pass Prop 69. In addition to the stakeholders of the transportation and infrastructure construction industry, the campaign enjoys broad support from concerned groups spanning many interests in California. Tese include groups active in issues affecting seniors, social justice, environment, public interest, business, labor, political, and local government. As members of AGC, and interested


residents of the state, we all have an opportunity to remind our colleagues, workforce, and industry partners to participate in the democratic process and vote on June 5th. More so, a vote for Proposition 69 will benefit our industry and California’s infrastructure alike. For more information on Prop 69,


or to join the coalition, go to: https:// yesprop69.com/. 


California Constructor


and will boost our economy by improving the transportation network that gets employees to work and goods and services to the market.


 Proposition 69 ensures our trans- portation tax dollars can only be used to make road safety improve- ments, fill potholes, repair local streets, freeways and bridges, and to invest in public transit.


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