Investments in Missouri’s transportation system have been good for the past several years but are facing a downturn in the next several years due to several factors.  Every dollar that goes into the State Road Fund is carefully prioritized to maintain and improve the infrastructure that keeps Missouri’s economy moving. Senate Bill 1065, currently being considered by the Missouri State Senate, would move the state in the wrong direction.  This bill would annually divert important resources away from roads and bridges and move taxpayers’ transportation investments into the pockets of private for-profit utilities.

As currently written, SB 1065 would require the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to reimburse non-rate-regulated utility providers for labor costs associated with relocating their facilities when impacted by roadwork. This legislation shifts the burden of these costs away from the private utilities and their shareholders and onto the shoulders of hard-working Missourians. We believe that those who contribute their hard-earned dollars to support transportation  projects should have the assurance that their funds are spent only for that purpose.

The diversion that would result from SB 1065 is not insignificant. The current fiscal note estimates the bill could drain up to $54 million annually from the State Road Fund. That’s $54 million annually that would otherwise go toward repairing aging bridges, improving safety, and addressing congestion across Missouri. At a time when transportation needs continue to outpace available funding, reallocating such a significant sum on an annual basis is simply irresponsible.

Utility relocation has long been considered a cost of doing business for providers operating within public rights-of-way. For many years, MoDOT has provided these public rights-of-way at NO COST to the utilities.  SB 1065 would upend this longstanding principle, creating a precedent that prioritizes private interests over public transportation investments. The results? Fewer road projects, delayed maintenance, more dangerous driving conditions, and increased costs for Missouri taxpayers.

For Missouri’s construction industry, this bill raises serious concerns. Contractors rely on a stable and adequately funded transportation program to plan, bid, and deliver projects efficiently. Reducing available funding introduces uncertainty, limits opportunities, and ultimately impacts jobs across the state.

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri strongly opposes Senate Bill 1065. Protecting the integrity of the State Road Fund is essential to maintaining Missouri’s infrastructure, assuring that transportation funding is used for transportation purposes, and supporting economic growth.

We implore anyone who values safe, reliable transportation and fiscal integrity to contact their state senator today and ask them to vote NO when SB 1065 comes to the floor.

Missouri cannot afford to take a $54 million step backward.