JEFFERSON CITY — Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 68, a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state sales and use tax by an increase of .75 percent for 10 years in order to fund various transportation projects. The measure would be put to a vote of the people and the governor selected the August primary to vote on the issue, which would pass by a simple majority.

The issue, HJR 68,  is on the ballot for Aug. 5, 2014, as Constitutional Amendment 7, and will read:

“Should the Missouri Constitution be changed to enact a temporary sales tax of three-quarters of one percent to be used solely to fund state and local highways, roads, bridges and transportation projects for ten years, with priority given to repairing unsafe roads and bridges?

This change is expected to produce $480 million annually to the state's Transportation Safety and Job Creation Fund and $54 million for local governments.  Increases in the gas tax will be prohibited. This revenue shall only be used for transportation purposes and cannot be diverted for other uses.”

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has developed a list of proposed projects to be completed under the amendment. MoDOT is soliciting public input on the proposed projects. Originally set to last for one week, the public information and online comment period has been extended until 5:00 p.m., July 3. The list of approved projects and all public comments will then be submitted to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission on July 9.

It is important for citizens to get involved in this process on the local level. Upcoming meetings will be held in Sedalia on Monday, June 23, at the Sedalia City Hall, 200 South Osage Ave.; at the Marshall City Hall, 214 North Lafayette,  on Wednesday, June 25; and on Thursday, June 26, at the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce, 100 South Holden St. All three meetings will take place from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. A number of meetings have already taken place around the state. These meetings allow for questions and input about the proposal, as well as the intended projects.

When the proposed list of projects was released, I was disappointed a very important project for the 21st District was not included. A redesigned intersection at Highways 50 and 58 is imperative for the safety of those who utilize the current interchange daily. Almost 20,000 vehicles come through that intersection every day, including buses and students from Crest Ridge Elementary and Crest Ridge High School. Although a temporary solution of creating a J-Turn interchange is planned as a short-term fix, this is something that needs to be addressed for the safety of not only citizens of the 21st District, but for all who use Highway 50.

An increase in funds for our state’s transportation needs means safety improvements and an increase in jobs to fulfill this demand. I urge you to learn more about Constitutional Amendment 7. For a complete list of proposed projects, public meetings, or to leave any comments you might have for consideration by MoDOT, please visit www.modot.org/movingforward.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.