Mar. 28, 2016
HARRISBURG— A resolution sponsored by Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) to investigate whether funds needed for highway safety are being syphoned off for non-safety-related expenses has passed the House.
House Resolution 622 directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the appropriate, justifiable and Constitutional level of Motor License Fund (MLF) support for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).
“While the state police have used the funding for safety initiatives, we must see if that money is being used as originally designed or if too much is going to non-safety related costs,” said Taylor, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
In 1990, the amount of funding from the MLF to support PSP was approximately $190 million. That has increased to $437 million in fiscal year 2005-06, and to $676 million in fiscal year 2014-15. The proposed amount in this year's budget is $758 million.
“This represents about 12 cents per gallon at the pump going to PSP, two-thirds of their entire operating budget,” Taylor said. “The amount of PSP funding coming out of the General Fund is growing too, but at a slower pace than the MLF.”
It is estimated that by fiscal year 2019-20 that amount from the MLF will be close to $1 billion dollars.
The Pennsylvania Constitution states that the MLF be used solely for construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of and safety on public highways and bridges and costs and expenses.
“Certainly PSP is a major component to highway safety with their patrols, but it remains to be seen if that amounts to two-thirds of what they do overall,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s resolution asks that Legislative Budget and Finance Committee conduct a comprehensive review and issue a report of findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives no later than six months from the adoption of the resolution.
Representative John Taylor
177th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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