Gov. Rick Perry doesn't like parts of a transportation bill Texas lawmakers sent him and threatened Wednesday to call them back to address the issue if no solution is reached before the legislative session ends May 28.
"The good news is, there's still time to fix it ... if not, I have no other option as the leader of this state than to bring the Legislature back until we address these issues and we get Texas back to where it can have a vibrant transportation infrastructure," Perry said.
Though a two-year moratorium on private toll road contracts is a major part of the bill and has drawn the most attention, that's not Perry's main objection to the legislation, he said.
However, Perry has urged lawmakers throughout this legislative session not to pass a toll-road moratorium. Toll roads are a key part of the Perry-proposed Trans Texas Corridor, a massive highway project that's partly under development.
Perry's spokesman, Robert Black, said the sweeping transportation legislation sent to Perry would allow numerous local communities to place liens on Texas rights of way, meaning bonds couldn't be issued for building roads there. He said the measure also puts regional projects in jeopardy and cuts some local governments out of funding.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area would be particularly hard hit, according to Perry.
The proposal also tightens controls on comprehensive development agreements, used in contracts for private-public road-building, reducing their maximum duration from 70 years to 40 years and allowing the state to buy back a project.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press, All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.