Feb. 25, 2016
HARRISBURG —The House Transportation Committee, chaired by Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia), passed a resolution requesting the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to see if funds dedicated to rebuilding roads and bridges used for services not provided for in the State Constitution.
House Resolution 622, which passes unanimously, asks the LBFC to conduct a comprehensive review of the appropriate, justifiable and constitutional level of Motor License Fund (MLF) support for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).
The MLF is made up of driver’s license and registration fees.
“That fund is supposed to be dedicated to improving highway safety,” said Taylor. “But we’ve watched as funds that should be going to road repairs are going to the state police non-highway related expenses.”
The resolution directs LBFC to conduct a comprehensive review to see how many resources are used by the PSP in non-turnpike highway patrol activities.
The resolution instructs the LBFC to do a thorough breakdown of how much the MLF is used for highway patrol, general government operations, training, criminal law enforcement, and liquor and code enforcement so the Legislature can act to make sure MLF dollars are being properly used for roadway safety.
In 1990, the MLF dedicated $190 million to the PSP, which 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 approximately 12 cents per gallon at the pump going to PSP, two-thirds of its entire operating budget.
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, the amount from the MLF will be close to $1 billion dollars.
“When motorists pay for their licenses and registrations, they are expecting that the money is being properly used for safety,” Taylor said. “And while the state police play a large role in achieving that, we must make sure the funds are not being syphoned off for administration and other costs that have little to do with protecting motorists on our highways.”
Representative John Taylor
177th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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