HARRISBURG - State Rep. Jerry P. Knowles, R-124, is following through.
In statement released this week, the former Schuylkill County commissioner said that when the House convenes in January, he will reintroduce a bill he has pushed for in previous sessions. The law would privatize the state liquor store system and use the money collected from the sale to fix Pennsylvania's roads and bridges.
Knowles campaigned on the proposal in his 2012 re-election bid.
"My proposal takes an antiquated state asset and invests its worth into Pennsylvania's infrastructure, which would allow for further job creation and economic growth," Knowles said in the statement. "I commend Governor Tom Corbett for recognizing the importance of privatizing state liquor stores, and I look forward to working with him and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai to see this goal accomplished."
If it makes it through the Senate and past the governor's desk, the legislation will establish the Infrastructure Future Fund, where the funds from the sale of the state store system must be used to pay for construction costs of transportation infrastructure projects. All the money raised from the sale of the liquor stores would be spread out evenly over four years. The state would have exclusive control and authority to manage, invest and reinvest money in the fund.
"At this time we don't have adequate funding to repair our roads and bridges," Knowles said. "The cost surrounding current repairs is approximately $3.5 billion annually, and we add about $1 million to that every day. The longer we wait to make improvements, the more damage we're doing to our infrastructure and our budget."
The state Transportation Advisory Committee reported in 2010 that there are nearly 5,000 structurally-deficient bridges and more than 7,000 miles of roads in poor condition in the state.
"Maintaining safe roads and bridges is a core and essential role of government," Knowles said. "I can't think of any other problem that affects Pennsylvanians more than our aging roads and bridges. Essentially, any person who leaves their home, whether they be driving, walking or riding, is affected by this problem."