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Governor Pence Signs Road Funding Bills

Brandon Smith

Governor Mike Pence Wednesday signed two bills into law that give state and local governments an influx of about a billion dollars in road funding over the next two years after.

Most of the legislation’s money is short-term or one-time dollars, and much of the local road funding comes from a one-time distribution of local income tax reserves. The state’s portion will come from the state budget surplus. But Governor Mike Pence says a portion of the bills that redirects some of the state sales tax on gasoline will be more than a short-term answer.

“That will lay a foundation for one hundred million dollars in funding being available to our local communities every year from now going forward,” Pence says.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook hosted the bill signing and says his community benefitted from smaller increases in road funding in recent years.

“I know of no government asset that more often touches the lives of nearly every Hoosier, nearly every day,” says Cook.

The new legislation also created a task force to craft a long term solution for both state and local roads. 

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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