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March 24, 2015      5:15 PM

Simmons rolls out transportation advisory committee

Legislative committee and oversight modeled on last session's water funding bill

Rep. Ron Simmons introduced his bill on Tuesday that would deploy a statewide advisory committee to fund and prioritize transportation projects in the same way the state has funded and deployed water projects.  

Simmons, R-Carrollton, chairs the Subcommittee on Long-Term Infrastructure Planning, which has fielded a dozen bills that address the operation of the Texas Department of Transportation, as well as the operation of toll road authorities, county transportation authorities and regional mobility authorities.

House Bill 20, carried by Simmons and Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, will be the cornerstone of the committee’s work. The bill creates a six-member State Infrastructure Advisory Committee, which would sit between the metropolitan planning organizations and the Texas Transportation Commission.

By Kimberly Reeves