|
House approves bill to establish transportation commission By BOB JOHNSON Associated Press Writer MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama House passed a bill Thursday that would take the Alabama Department of Transportation out from under the control of the governor and have it managed by a five-person commission. The sponsor, Rep. Cam Ward, D-Alabaster, said the commission would appoint the transportation director, which he said would give the state's highway planning continuity from governor to governor. The members of the commission would be appointed by the governor and would serve staggered five-year terms. The state would be divided into three geographical regions, with one member appointed from each region and two members appointed at-large. The bill, approved on a 95-1 vote, was one of four passed by the House Thursday aimed at strengthening the state's transportation system. One legislator, Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, wondered if the commission would really take politics out of decisions on where new roads are located and which existing roads get repaired. "If we're going to get politics out of it, why are all the appointments going to be made by the governor himself," Martin asked. Ward said by staggering terms, a governor would not be able to control all of the appointments. He said this would stop the transportation department from changing priorities when a new governor is elected. "There are some projects that have been on the department's five-year plan for 20 years," Ward said. Ward said his measure was similar to a bill that passed the Legislature several years ago putting the Alabama Docks under the control of an agency. Another bill that passed the House 93-3 would set up the mechanism for public-private partnerships to build toll roads and bridges in the state. The bill would allow private companies to help build the bridges and then collect the tolls. The House also passed bills that would put the state's inland waterways and short line railroads under the control of the Department of Transportation. Those bills passed on 97-0 and 102-0 votes. |