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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D839D9.34A00B60" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">March 17, 2022</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little signs “Leading Idaho” transportation funding bill into law</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little signed a key part of his “Leading Idaho” plan into law today, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in new transportation funding to clear out one-third
of Idaho’s bridge maintenance backlog.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2022/legislation/S1359/" target="_BLANK"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Senate Bill 1359</span></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> includes $200 million
for local bridges, $6 million for air, $8 million for rail, $18 million to pay off debt for
<span class="spelle">Garvee</span> projects, $10 million for safe pedestrian crossings, and $10 million to build out a road at the Port of Lewiston.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“We are taking advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fully fund known transportation needs – to maintain our roads and bridges permanently – with no new taxes. Last year, together
we passed the largest transportation funding package in state history, and we did it without raising taxes. But we did not stop there. We cannot continue our record economic trajectory if our logging trucks can’t get across old bridges or we can’t get our
farm products to market. This bill invests another $200 million in one-time funding to clear out one-third of the backlog of deficient bridges, and we are closing in on another $200 million in ongoing funding to fully address our known maintenance needs locally
and statewide,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little recognized the state’s strong partnership with local governments, including cities, counties, and highway districts, which supported the bill.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little also thanked his legislative partners and the team and the Idaho Transportation Department for their leadership in getting the bill across the finish line.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little is expected to sign another transportation funding bill in the coming days that will include $200 million for road maintenance.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“I am unwilling to put Idahoans’ safety and the maintenance of our state’s roads and bridges at the whims of the feds. We must not look to Washington, D.C., to solve our problems. Leading
Idaho means addressing our own state’s needs. Together, we’ll show Washington, D.C., how to tackle transportation by fully funding known gaps with no new taxes and providing long-term funding for long-term needs,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
Governor Little added.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"># # #</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison
</span></span><span class="spelle"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Hyer</span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">, Press Secretary</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">208-943-1686 or </span></span><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></span></a></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">--</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank" target="_BLANK"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">Sign
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<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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