Voters overwhelmingly ratify transportation ‘lockbox’

From CT Mirror.

Voters overwhelmingly ratified two amendments to the state Constitution Tuesday, including a new legal “lockbox” to safeguard funds earmarked for Connecticut’s transportation program.

Voters also ratified a second amendment that would prohibit the legislature from selling, conveying, or swapping state land or buildings without first holding a public hearing.

Though final numbers hadn’t been tallied late Tuesday, unofficial results showed more than 80 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of each amendment.

“The voter support for the transportation lockbox is a step in the right direction for Connecticut,” said Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industry Association and one of the founders of Move CT Forward — a coalition of construction businesses, trades and other transportation advocates. “It is a signal of fiscal restraint and an indication that improving mobility is a priority.”

“This is an enormous victory for our state’s future as Connecticut desperately needs investment in transportation infrastructure,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a staunch advocate of the amendment, wrote in a statement late Tuesday. “While surrounding states have made real investments, Connecticut has allowed our roads, bridges, tunnels, and rails to fall into a state of disrepair, hurting our economy and making our infrastructure less safe for the traveling public. … This constitutional lockbox is a necessary step forward to strengthening our state’s economy and improving the quality of life for our residents.”

Read the full post from the CT Mirror online.