Rep. Kolkhorst files bills to kill toll schemes

Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst of Brenham has filed two bills which would stop the Trans-Texas Corridor and other toll road schemes.

HB 1881 will repeal the Trans-Texas Corridor from the transportation code. “Some toll systems work, such as Harris County, but many do not. Plenty of people share my concerns about these private toll roads and how they’ll threaten communities, violate our property rights, and create an unregulated transportation monopoly. My bill allows Texas to scrap the Trans-Texas Corridor plan and start over.”

Kolkhorst also filed HB 1880, which prohibits public pension funds from investing in a private toll road project. “No public money from a public pension fund should be used for a private toll road. It’s risky to invest our retiree pension funds into an unproven investment, especially with a foreign company. Texas doesn’t need a middle-man to build a road.”, Kolkhorst said.