House passes GARVEE bill, 42-28

The House has voted 42-28 in favor of HB 285, the final GARVEE bonding proposal for highway work; it calls for $162 million in bonding next year.

This is the last of a multi-year series of bonding efforts to complete major improvements to a series of highway corridors around the state; this final installment is targeted for construction on two projects: U.S. Highway 95 in North Idaho between Garwood and Sagle, and state Highway 16 in the Treasure Valley from I-84 to State Street. Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, said, “All that’s left on Highway 95 and Highway 16 is construction - those are jobs. … This is about the economic engines of this state.”

Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, was among those who said he objects to the idea of any debt financing. “I’m ashamed,” he said. “I don’t know where the end will be. … I don’t favor going into debt.” Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, spoke against the bill, saying he’d prepared amendments. But House Appropriations Chairwoman Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said “We don’t need a fix on this bill.” She said, “This is the end of GARVEE. … There’s safety factors here, there’s economic factors here. There are no paths for our committee to go anyplace else with funding. This is it. Please vote for this.”