NASHVILLE, Tenn.–Democratic lawmakers from Tennessee are targeting the state’s infrastructure and transportation obstacles on Tuesday, previewing a slate of campaigns and legislation aimed at addressing infrastructure reform.
Democratic lawmakers Representative Aftyn Behn, Rep. John Ray Clemmons, Rep. Ronnie Glynn, Senator Heidi Campbell, and House candidate Garfield Scott are among those who held a press conference announcing the plans.
The plans include a Rocky Top, Not Rocky Roads campaign which includes billboards calling out the Republican majority to be “accountable for the potholes and record traffic congestion” in the state. A media release on the effort states “Since coming into complete power in 2011, the Republican Party has neglected Tennessee’s deteriorating roadways and ignored the development of any regional mass transit. Additionally, according to the state’s annual infrastructure audit, under the GOP’s watch, the state’s backlog of transportation projects has grown to $34 billion.”
Rep. Behn also will introduce legislation aiming to shed the current road project financing strategy known as “pay-as-we-go” which requires the state to fund projects upfront without alternative financing. Rep. Behn and the other lawmakers believe the strategy limits the state’s ability to invest in large-scale projects.