Northeast South Dakota News

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson from South Dakota has introduced the Highway Funding Flexibility Act, a legislative proposal designed to allow state governments to reallocate unobligated funds originally intended for federal electric vehicle (EV) programs. This move aims to provide states with the authority to address their specific infrastructure needs.

The bill seeks to offer flexibility in how states can use these funds, which could be directed towards various infrastructure projects such as engineering, design, construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and truck parking facilities. Currently, South Dakota has $29 million that cannot be utilized for other priority infrastructure needs due to restrictions imposed by the Biden Administration.

Representative Johnson commented on the current state of American infrastructure compared to global competitors like China: “American infrastructure is lagging behind our competitors, especially China’s, and we lack the infrastructure to support a full switch to electric vehicles.” He emphasized that his bill would allow states to prioritize projects according to their needs rather than adhering strictly to federal EV priorities.

Henry Hanscom from the American Trucking Associations expressed support for the bill: “Despite billions of taxpayer dollars being allocated for the NEVI program, only a few dozen EV chargers were installed over several years due to the poorly planned rollout... The trucking industry commends Rep. Johnson for introducing the Highway Funding Flexibility Act.”

The act is co-sponsored by Representatives Jefferson Shreve from Indiana and Jeff Hurd from Colorado. In parallel efforts within Congress, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming has introduced identical legislation in the Senate.

This legislative initiative comes against a backdrop where significant federal funding under previous administrations was allocated towards EV infrastructure development through programs like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. However, much of this funding remains unobligated.

The Highway Funding Flexibility Act represents an effort by some lawmakers to shift focus away from what they see as restrictive EV-centric policies towards broader infrastructure priorities that align more closely with state-specific needs.