Infrastructure

I-81

In 2018, Obenshain introduced SB 971 to authorize a study for improvements on I-81. This was 14 years after he joined the Senate. You can see, here, the changes in the proposed legislation.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Plan. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to develop and adopt an Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement plan and evaluate the feasibility of tolling heavy commercial vehicles to finance corridor improvements.

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Plan. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to develop and adopt an Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement plan and evaluate financing options for Interstate 81 corridor improvements.

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

How do we pay for it?

In 2019, Obenshain sponsored SB 1716 to fund I-81 improvements. Again, the focus was on tolls — this time, for trucks and cars. The summary of changes illustrates how the proposal morphed from tolls to a gas tax.

In 2020, Obenshain tried to amend the targeting of fuel taxes to pay for I-81 by limiting the tax to jurisdictions abutting the highway. SB 692 did not pass out of committee.

COMMENTARY — The next few paragraphs are a combination of facts, opinions, and questions.

It is difficult to vote for infrastructure spending when your metric for success is “keeping the government small and cutting taxes.” It is not surprising that Obenshain has not sponsored infrastructure legislation and that he routinely votes against such bills. So, how did any improvements on I-81 get started? Senator Tim Kain shared his experience when he visited Harrisonburg in September 2023.

Why did we end up paying a per gallon tax in areas along I-81, instead of tolling trucks or putting the cost onto corporations that put significant wear and tear on I-81? That is a complicated question. Obenshain is not a fan of taxing corporations. He even proposed a bill to eliminate all corporate income tax in 2011. It is a little bit surprising to see him propose a toll on trucks. Particularly in light of his 2008 move to prohibit tolls (SB754) on I-81.

This story from The Recorder in March, 2019 sheds some light on how Governor Northam made the decision about how to fund I-81 (see video above) and let legislators such as Obenshain both claim the victory for I-81 improvements and avoid criticism for raising gas taxes. Wouldn’t it be better to have a Senator who accepts that a primary part of the job is advocating for the best allocation of tax revenues to serve the common good? Maybe, then, it would not take almost two decades to address a serious problem.

Rural Broadband

Rural broadand is to the 21st Century what roads were to the 19th Century and electricity was to the 20th Century. It is critical infrastructure for a thriving economy and community. Mark Obenshain has never sponsored a bill to support rural broadband development.

In 2023, a group of six Republican Senators and one Democrat sponsored SB 1029 in an effort to assist electric cooperatives that were trying to bring broadband to rural communities. The cooperatives were meeting resistance from railroads that didn’t want the cables to run across their property. See this article for more details.

Obenshain used Rule 36 – which notes a conflict of interest – and did not vote yes or no on the bill. What was his conflict of interest? He has never explained that. Is that conflict of interest the reason for his failure to introduce legislation to bring broadband to Senate District 2? We don’t know. Since he hasn’t participated in debates in 2023, no one has had a chance to ask him.

Personal Liberties