ACTION HAILED AS GREAT BENEFIT FOR STATE

All Southeast Missouri senators and representatives voted in favor of the proposal to increase the state's fuel tax by 6 cents a gallon.

After weeks of agonizing, consultation with constituents, lengthy discussion, and intense lobbying from highway and Chamber of Commerce officials, the Missouri General Assembly Thursday gave final approval to a bill increasing the fuel tax.

The Senate, which drug its debate on the measure out over three days, passed the measure 30-4 shortly before noon, after rejecting a plea from Sen. John Schneider, D-St. Louis, to address funding needs for things besides just highways.

The 6-cent increase will be phased in, and the first 2-cent increment will be applied April 1.

Legislative leaders were anxious to get the bill finished this week before adjourning, and the House stayed in session longer than normal awaiting final action by the Senate.

"I think we were within 15 minutes of adjourning and going home for the week," said Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Poplar Bluff.

Driskill said the House was willing to wait as long as meaningful debate was occurring in the Senate, but Schneider was doing nothing more than conducting a mini-filibuster Thursday morning.

"We were not going to let one man delay the business of the Missouri House," said Driskill.

"Sen. Schneider's main argument is we need money elsewhere for things like mental health and education," said Sen. John Dennis, D-Benton. "We all know that, but this bill will help put people to work."

Dennis, who voted against all proposed amendments to the bill, said he was not surprised by the final vote and he thought everyone got to have their say during the debate.

"It was well argued both forward and backward," said Dennis. "Everybody should have known what we were voting on. Everybody had their say."

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, said he was glad to see good discussion, but agreed Schneider carried on too long.

"The more debate that occurred from Sen. Schneider, the more compelled people felt to vote for the bill," said Howard. "We all realize that this bill will not take care of all the state's ills."

John Oliver of Cape Girardeau, vice chairman of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission, praised the legislators for their action. "I'm glad the Senate took the time it felt it needed to debate the issues," said Oliver. "The votes indicated people clearly recognized the needs of the state."

Oliver termed the Senate vote "a show of responsible leadership." He said the House "repeated its statesmen-like work" by agreeing to the bill a short time later.

"The beneficiaries of these efforts by the House and Senate are the people of Missouri who will now have an opportunity to fully participate in the federal highway program by being able to match federal funds as they become available. Now, because of this commendable action, they will be able to see the prospect for funding and completion of the department's 15-year unfunded needs study," said Oliver.

"We look forward to taking the maximum advantage of the combination of state and federal programs to accelerate construction of vital road projects, including new construction and maintenance of our deteriorating infrastructure."

Oliver said that many of the improvements will improve safety.

Oliver stressed that while the highway commission looked forward to the new projects, it will also focus on other opportunities the federal program presents for areas like mass transit and intermodal transportation.

He said there "is a firm commitment that Missouri needs to be alert to its total transportation needs and opportunities."

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said she was looking forward to seeing quick action on extending Nash Road into the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority.

"I'm very pleased that it has gone through because this spells progress for our area and connects us a little more with the whole highway system," said Kasten. "That means more jobs and economic development for our area, and also better safety."

George Hathhorn, chairman of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Surface Transportation Committee, praised the leadership of area legislators to make the bill possible.

He said: "I'm sure the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will appreciate the effort and unanimous support shown by legislators from the Southeast Missouri area, and specifically Mary Kasten and David Schwab, who early on made it apparent what their position was. We also appreciate the hard work of Sen. John Dennis. We appreciate all their efforts.

"With the increased funding now available and the projects that are outlined to be completed by the state highway department, it will bring to a completion virtually every project the Cape chamber has lobbied the highway department for over the last several years," said Hathhorn. "We will have a very good route to Jefferson City, much better access to Poplar Bluff, and it brings us nearer to a lot of our working force in outlying areas around Cape."

Walt Wildman, executive director of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, called the fuel tax increase "a non-losing situation." He said, "This is going to be monumental and historic for Southeast Missouri and the entire state."

Hathhorn also stressed the safety benefits that will come from improved highways in the state.

"The thought of safer highways, and reducing the loss of lives and injuries as a result of safer highways, is a bonus that we can't even measure at this point," said Hathhorn. "More than anything, that may be the best thing about the whole deal."

Howard said he found strong support from his constituents and looked forward to seeing people put to work.

"Everything ran heavily in favor of the bill from my constituency. The opposition I had was very spotty," said Howard.

He said that many people came up to him individually and expressed support for the gas tax. "No one, absolutely no one, came up to me and said, ~`I am against the gas tax' in person."

Driskill said the entire process has not been an easy one for many legislators, who struggled over whether the measure should be submitted to a vote of the people.

"I'm not sure everyone, including myself, feels 100 percent great about this," said Driskill. "Some people are opposed to new taxes of any kind, and I fully understand that. I and other members were very uncomfortable voting for this because it was a tax.

"But the bottom line was that the cost-to-benefit analysis told us the benefits were much greater than the perceived costs and pain and suffering of people having to pay the tax. That is pure and simply what it came down to."