Highway bill allowing funds to be diffused defeated in committee

March 26, 1973 - A rural-dominated legislative committee takes up a bill for a Constitutional amendment would allow legislators to spend road use taxes in more diverse ways including mass transit. Funds would be distributed by a formula according to population, area and money needs. Opponents say it would lead to grandiose and expensive transit schemes when there?s not enough money in the highway fund now to keep roads and bridges in good repair and develop farm to market roads needed by farmers. C.L. Bauer of the Triple A says to undedicate highway funds would be to use them for unintended purposes. He says transit will not relieve traffic congestion, and that regarding pollution, standing on the busiest downtown street corner for eight hours is the equivalent of smoking one cigarette. Bill author Tom Berg says this is not an attempt to dissipate the fund or take outstate funds. It would give the legislature the flexibility to solve transportation problems that exist in rural Minnesota and township roads. He?s happy to support more highways in outstate, but he doesn?t think we need it in metro area, bill would take it out of current constitutional restrictions. Author bill Tom Berg asked for postponement of the vote so compromises could be worked out. A motion to kill the bill passed by a vote along rural/metropolitan lines.