TxDOT to be extended two years without reforms

TxDOT extension approved

Steve Hawley, Jul 02, 09.

UPDATE (7/02/09, 3:52 pm): Senate Bill 2 has passed the House and Senate in identical form and now goes to Gov. Perry for his signature. There were no dissenting votes, and Perry is expected to sign the bill.

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The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would be extended for two years under legislation (HB 2 and SB 2) filed for the special session, but the bills include no reforms.

The bills would extend the sunset date from September 1, 2009 to September 1, 2011, ensuring that the department is not abolished. The Senate passed its version of the bill Wednesday and the House is expected to vote on its version on Thursday. The bill also extends sunset dates for a variety of other state agencies and commissions.

A Sunset Report issued by the state last year called for a significant overhaul of TxDOT, concluding that an “atmosphere of distrust permeated most of TxDOT’s actions” and that TxDOT “could not be an effective state transportation agency if trust and conﬁdence were not restored.” The report continued, “Significant changes are needed to begin this restoration; tweaking the status quo is simply not enough.”

The Sunset Report called for several specific reforms to increase accountability, transparency, and access to independent information. Instead of the current five-member appointed Texas Transportation Commission, it said TxDOT should be governed by a single appointed commissioner and overseen by a legislative committee. In addition, the report recommended that TxDOT redevelop its current statewide transportation plan.

Both houses passed versions of a TxDOT restructuring bill during the regular session, but the proposals differed dramatically and neither side could agree on a compromise. The House plan called for a 15-member elected commission, while the Senate plan called for retaining the Texas Transportation Commission but shortening its term lengths from six years to two years. A proposed local-option gas tax further divided legislators, with some insisting that the local option was unacceptable and others insisting on its inclusion. When the restructuring attempt failed, Governor Perry called for a special session to avoid a shutdown of TxDOT and several other state agencies.

A third bill introduced during the special session (HB 14) would provide some reforms, including shortening the term limits of the Texas Transportation Commission to two years instead of the current six and adding a rail division to TxDOT, but it appears unlikely to pass or even be considered in the brief special session.