Legislative Issues
To get the most up-to-date legislative issues impacting the Lakeshore Friends of Transit, follow us on our Facebook page. We will alert you when new issues come up that need your involvement. We will list them below and note what level of government and which legislators are voting on the issue. A template letter will be developed for you to use to email the elected officials. All you need to do is copy and paste it into an email and push SEND!

TAKE ACTION!
Level of Government: Federal
Legislator: Congressman Bill Huizenga
Issue: U.S. House of Representatives is proposing a change to its rules that would eliminate the provision that requires guaranteed levels of funding for highways, highway safety and public transportation

Send the Congressman an Email

Template Letter (copy and paste into email):
Dear Congressman Huizenga:

Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives is proposing a change to its rules that would eliminate the provision that requires guaranteed levels of funding for highways, highway safety and public transportation.

If passed, this rule would create opportunities to use user fees and transit fund resources for non-transportation purposes. For example, Congress could direct highway and transit resources to other purposes, such as deficit reduction. Thus, adoption of the new rule could endanger future levels of funding for public transportation programs by eliminating the current guarantee that ensures that user fees deposited into the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund are used for transit purposes. This guarantee was put in place in 1998 to end the constant raiding of this fund, which has resulted in almost 100 percent of funds authorized for transit programs being appropriated on an annual basis.

While we understand that cuts must be made across the board, we strongly encourage the House to reconsider the passage of this rule because of the serious impact it will have in the lakeshore area.

If the federal funding that public transit agencies receive in the 2nd Congressional District is jeopardized or cut, it will result in a reduction in transit services. Most public transit agencies use their full millage levy to pay for the increasing gap in state and federal transportation funding. Further reduction would result in a loss of the many services that individuals who are hurting the most (low-income, seniors, people with disabilities and the unemployed) utilize on a daily basis.

We urge Congressman Bill Huizenga to continue to support public transit, and ask him to preserve transportation funding so citizens are able to fully participate in their communities.