Third Special Session

     Within thirty minutes of the conclusion of the second special session Governor Perry has called this year, he announced a third session that began almost immediately. The topic Perry wants addressed is transportation funding, a subject Congress has failed to pass a bill on in the past two special sessions. Perry stated, "When it comes to transportation, the stakes facing our state could not be higher, and a failure to act now could take years - if not most of the decade - to correct, as traffic congestion increases and harms our quality of life."

     There are two measures that the Senate passed, but did not gain enough support in the House. If passed,  voters "would have to approve a constitutional amendment to divert half of the oil and gas production tax revenue currently earmarked for the state's Rainy Day Fund toward road construction and maintenance." Even though this is expected to raise nearly $900 million a year, it still does not seem that it would be enough money, and many are against it, including Rep. Joe Pickett of El Paso who called it a "Band-Aid over a pothole." 

     From my experiences the past two years taking busses and driving predominantly around Austin and Central Texas, I agree that transportation does need a major revision, specifically involving traffic and improving road conditions. It is not fun sitting in traffic on I-35 for 30 minutes to only move two miles, especially when it is two in the afternoon on a Thursday with no reason for there to be any traffic at all. This issue is that the Senate will be trying to pass a bill that the House has already turned down, meaning that compromises will need to be made for a bill to pass. Hopefully Congress will be able to agree on something to start the ball rolling on transportation reform.

"Perry Calls Third Special Session of Texas Legislature." Aman Batheja and Elizabeth Koh. Texas Tribune.