Wanted to Extend Private Toll Road Contract by 20 Years (70 Years Total): House of Bad Cards

HB 2876 would extend the historically anti-taxpayer private toll road contract for SH 130 20 MORE years.

Texans have repeatedly made it clear - we strongly oppose foreign ownership of our public infrastructure. This sell-out of Texas started back in 2005. Organized conservatives were able to get a moratorium on foreign toll contracts in 2007; however, the Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) - also known as a public private partnership - was signed for SH 130 before any of our legislative reforms were passed in 2007.

The history of SH 130 is littered with cronyism and taxpayer abuse. From hiding toll viability studies from the people of Texas to the SH 130 bankruptcy bailout, taxpayers have continuously been misled about SH 130. The public record clearly shows that elected officials have been complicit in scamming taxpayers.

Instead of following Sunset recommendations to reform TxDOT and passing legislation to audit the Regional Mobility Authorities, the Texas Legislature continues to add more revenue streams (albeit through the legislature's "get out of jail free" card AKA constitutional amendments). No matter how many different buckets of money our Texas Transportation Bureaucracy takes in - it is never enough. Here we are again, looking to extend the life of a failed funding model - SH 130.

Who will look out for the taxpayers?

GOP Platform Conflict: Plank 51 opposes toll roads; Plank 62 emphasizes fiscal responsibility.

RV#1981: Yea 88 (R 33, D 55) - Nay 42 (R 40, D 2)
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Yea - Allen; Anchia; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Button; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cortez; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harris; Hefner; Hernandez; Hinojosa; Howard; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kitzman; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, R.; Lujan; Martinez; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Munoz; Ordaz; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Raymond; Reynolds; Rosenthal; Shaheen; Simmons; Spiller; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Turner; VanDeaver; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wilson; Wu; Zweiner

Nay - Alders; Ashby; Bumgarner; Cook; Craddick; Cunningham; DeAyala; Dorazio; Frank; Gonzalez, J.; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hickland; Holt; Hopper; Isaac; Kerwin; LaHood; Little; Lopez, J.; Lowe; Luther; Money; Morgan; Noble; Olcott; Pierson; Richardson; Romero; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shofner; Slawson; Smithee; Swanson; Tinderholt; Toth; Vasut; Virdell; Wharton

Absent - Geren; Harless; Hull; Hunter; Leo Wilson; Louderback; McLaughlin; Oliverson; Orr; Plesa; Rodriguez Ramos; Troxclair

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; McQueeney

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

Pat Curry: "When Record No. 1981 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote present, not voting." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Sam Harless: "When Record No. 1981 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

(Bill summary provided in part by Texas Policy Research)