Legislators are once again considering MDOT’s request for a recurring stream of revenues to repair roads and bridges. So, how long has this issue been on the table? The following excerpts from a column I wrote in 2018 give a hint.

“Will our reluctant legislators finally get off their duffs and do something to fix roads and bridges across Mississippi?

“Gov. Phil Bryant called Friday for a special session on August 23rd to deal with the issue. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves still have not found common ground on the issue, formerly a prerequisite Bryant had for the session. Heaven forbid that all those other legislators would do something without Gunn’s and Reeves’ permission.”

“The Tax Foundation says ‘smart tax policy’ includes having the ‘lion’s share of transportation funding’ come from user fees and user taxes. Mississippi fuel taxes and user fees covered 36% of local and state spending on roads and bridges in 2014, putting the state in the bottom quartile nationally.

“Gunn seems to agree with the foundation and has recommended options to increase fuel taxes. His latest offer was to swap an increase in fuel taxes for a decrease in income taxes.

“Reeves, along with Bryant, wants no fuel tax increases.

“’While raising a gas tax is often unpopular, aligning user fees, like a gas tax, with the associated spending projects, like road construction, is a sound financing approach for states,’ says the Tax Foundation.

“This has been the conservative approach to financing necessary government services for years.

“So what course, if any, will our legislators’ choose?”

They chose none of the above in 2018. And, with limited exceptions, they have continued with none of the above. The exceptions include a portion of the taxes from the state lottery and a diversion from use taxes going for road bridge construction and maintenance. But that is far from what MDOT needs.

After sufficient recurring funding failed again this past session, MDOT Executive Director Brad White told WLBT, “This time next year, we’ll be back at the well with our hands out, needing an infusion of funds to keep our programs going.”

“The money that we have is not going as far,” continued White. “The cost of asphalt has gone up. The cost of labor is going up. So, as our money is flat, you’re gonna see fewer projects being done because the money simply doesn’t go as far and that’s just on the maintenance side.”

Seems long past time for the Legislature to deal with this.

Crawford is the author of “A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.”