Highway Commissioner Mulls Over Holden Transportation Proposal

Governor Bob Holden’s State of the State Address contains a proposal for the state change how the Highway Commission and Transportation Department are set up. He wants to see the number of highway commissioners go from six to nine, one for each congressional district, and he wants the transportation manager to report to the Governor. Holden believes this would help the department’s credibility problem. Highway commissioner Bill McKenna says it would not change the basic problem of not having enough money to do all the projects the state needs to do. And, McKenna says if that change in perception means there would end up being more money to do the things MoDOT wants to do, he’d be in favor of it. However, as a former state lawmaker himself, he admits the changes could face an uphill battle in the Legislature.