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FLYER FUNDED FOR FY2006

Thee 2005 Legislative session has completed with good news.  Governor Henry signed HB1078 on June 5th.  This bill will provide $2 million for FY2006. Heartland Flyer operation is assured through September 30, 2006, the end of Amtrak's fiscal year.  The good news is that the appropriation is annual.  The bad news is that the annual appropriation is $2 million short of what Amtrak charges the state each year or about $4 million.  This year we are going to focus on expansion for preservation demands expansion of state Amtrak services.

LAST UPDATED 06/18/05

Most importantly: 1) call the office of these listed elected officials no matter where you live because of their leadership responsibilities, 2) follow up with a letter, 3) e-mail their offices, 4) repeat this process often to let them know you are serious.

News Flash: (check here frequently for updates)
 

Story last updated at 9:20 AM on April 22, 2005

State lawmakers break budget logjam with bipartisan agreement
By Tim Talley
Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A state budget agreement that calls for more spending on education and roads and bridges as well as the second income tax rate cut in as many years was announced by House and Senate negotiators Thursday.

Lawmakers said many details must still be worked out, including whether to spend $24.6 million on Gov. Brad Henry's plan to fully fund all-day kindergarten classes. The agreement includes part of Henry's tax-relief package but does not include his $100 million rebate proposal.

''Oklahomans win today,'' said Rep. Jim Newport, R-Ponca City, vice chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. ''You will see education taken seriously. You will see meaningful tax reform.''

Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, said the agreement means the Legislature can finally complete a public education budget. Lawmakers missed their own April 1 deadline for funding education while they engaged in partisan bickering over the budget.

''This has been a difficult process. Democracy is not an easy thing to accomplish,'' Morgan said.

''It was noisy,'' said Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee.

Henry praised the agreement but said ''there is heavy lifting ahead.'' ''Many aspects of the announced agreement hold great promise, such as consensus on tax relief and funds for roads and bridges,'' the governor said.

The agreement includes a record $3.23 billion for common education, higher education and CareerTech. Public schools would receive $144 million more than their current budget, and colleges and universities would receive $72 million more.

The budget includes Henry's plan to spend $54.8 million in the first year of a four-year plan to bring teacher pay up to the regional average. Another $22.4 million is set aside to fully fund a benefits package that pays 100 percent of teacher health insurance costs.

Crutchfield said the agreement includes enough money to pay for Henry's kindergarten plan, but it will be up to appropriations subcommittees in the House and Senate to decide how it is spent.

Henry urged lawmakers to fund the proposal.

''I believe parents should have the choice of enrolling their children in a full-day or half-day program, and I urge lawmakers to give them that option,'' Henry said.

The agreement allocates about $5.94 billion to appropriation subcommittees, all but about $60 million in available state revenue.

The agreement includes House Speaker Todd Hiett's proposal to cut the state's maximum income tax rate from 6.65 percent to 6.25 percent, beginning in 2006. The measure would reduce revenue by about $100 million a year and would cost $58 million during the fiscal year that begins July 1, lawmakers said.

''It's a budget that's a great compromise. It's a budget that meets the needs of Oklahoma,'' said Hiett, R-Kellyville.

The current rate was reduced from 7 percent last year by a statewide vote of the people.

The agreement includes $63 million in tax relief proposed by Henry, including expanding the income tax exemption for retirees, extending the capital gains tax elimination on Oklahoma-based property to corporations and expanding estate tax exemptions to include collateral heirs, like brothers and sisters.

Henry has also proposed a statewide sales tax holiday on back-to-school purchases, similar to a successful program in Texas.

The agreement calls for increasing road and bridge construction and maintenance dollars by $170 million over several years using new revenue from the state's economic growth. Voters would be asked to consider a constitutional ''lockbox'' provision to permanently secure the funds.

The proposal is similar to legislation proposed by Newport that would have diverted motor vehicle revenue that is deposited in the general revenue fund. Opponents said diverting the money would take funds away from education.

The budget agreement also includes about $1.9 million for Amtrak's Heartland Flyer passenger train, which travels between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.

Rail passengers rally for Heartland Flyer
By Tim Talley
Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With money for Oklahoma's Amtrak service scheduled to run out this fall, rail passengers and municipal leaders called on state lawmakers Monday to fund rail service and extend the state's Heartland Flyer into Kansas.

Holding signs that read ''Flyer 4 The Future'' and ''$3 a gallon? I'll take Amtrak,'' about 100 people rallied outside the state Capitol and urged the Legislature to expand Amtrak's passenger rail service, begun in 1999 following a 20-year absence in Oklahoma.

About 300,000 people have ridden the Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas, since the service began and ridership along the 418-mile route was up 20 percent last year, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said.

''Let's fund the Heartland Flyer into Kansas,'' Cornett said as rail passengers cheered and applauded.

Federal funding for the service runs out in September. The service costs $3.9 million a year to operate -- the same cost as building one-quarter mile of interstate highway, Cornett said.

''Public transportation is expensive by its very nature and it has to be subsidized,'' Cornett said.

Depots along the Heartland Flyer's route, including those in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley and Ardmore, have been revitalized since the service was launched and the Heartland Flyer has brought an estimated $29 million in economic development to the communities.

''Oklahoma has always had a relationship with the railroad,'' said Richard Stawicki, a member of Norman's city council.

Supporters want to extend the Heartland Flyer service north of Oklahoma City to an Amtrak junction in Newton, Kan., where it would connect to other trains to Chicago, Kansas City and the West Coast. Proposed new stops in Oklahoma include Edmond, Guthrie and Perry.

''It's a very good boost for northeastern Oklahoma. I know it would help our downtown square,'' said Perry Mayor Estell Emde.

''We've always supported the Heartland Flyer. What's good for one of us is good for all of us,'' said Guthrie Mayor Jon Gumerson.

''I think the train would be a great asset going into Kansas,'' said rail passenger Bennie Walker of Oklahoma City, who held a sign that read ''74,000 passengers in Edmond.''

''Kids love it. They like riding on trains more than they like riding in cars,'' Walker said.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, said that with gasoline prices soaring, it makes sense to provide Oklahomans with transportation alternatives.

''This is a chance to open up opportunities,'' Corn said. ''Let's build Oklahoma and we can do it with rail service.''

Corn has authored legislation to provide $1.34 billion for road and bridge maintenance and the Heartland Flyer over the next 15 years. Gov. Brad Henry has proposed setting aside $105 million in extra revenue next year for roads and bridges and to keep the Heartland Flyer on track.

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Save the train rally planned in Oklahoma City
 

PassengerRailOk.org announced Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City will be keynote speaker at the April 11 State Capitol.

In support of Oklahoma passenger rail preservation and expansion, the rally begins at 11 a.m. at Capitol South Plaza, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City. Participants are requested to bring signs supporting Oklahoma Amtrak service.

Evan Stair, Executive Director of PassengerRailOk.org said mayors from Ponca City to Ardmore have also been invited. Opportunities will be provided to speak with state legislators who will decide the fate of the Heartland Flyer as they consider fiscal year 2006 state appropriations.

Heartland Flyer/Amtrak passenger train is facing an Oct. 1 discontinuance if the Oklahoma legislature fails to fund continued operation this session.

This train serves communities between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth with intermediate stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, and Ardmore. Texas stops include Gainesville and Fort Worth.

Heartland Flyer Coalition Chairman Judi Elmore, Ardmore, said more than 5,200 folks rode the Flyer during the month of December 2004.

"In Ardmore alone, more than 47,000 passengers have either boarded or detrained here since the service began," Elmore said.

As of Dec. 31, 2004, a total of 317,801 passengers had ridden the train. The original estimate was that only 25,000 people a year would use the train.

According to Carrie Clear, Oklahoma Department of Transportation Public Affairs, in 2004 alone the Flyer had 56,617 passengers.

Other proposed Oklahoma Department of Transportation passenger rail projects are jeopardized including Heartland Flyer expansion to connect with the Chicago-to-Los Angeles Southwest Chief in Kansas; and a USDOT/ODOT high speed rail project between Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

The Oklahoma Legislature has failed since 1999 to fund these expansions. Additional communities, including Edmond, Guthrie, Perry, Ponca City, Chandler, Bristow, Sapulpa, Tulsa, Claremore, and Vinita would be served with ODOT proposed expansions.

The Heartland Flyer began operation on June 14, 1999 with a one time $23 million federal tax rebate. At the time, Oklahoma was one of only 44 states without Amtrak service.

Bridge repair funding announced
 

SENATE 2020 PLAN WOULD FUND A PORTION OF THE FLYER/ FEDS TO PICK UP THE REST

By Michael McNutt
The Oklahoman

PAOLI - Senate Democrats announced a funding plan today they said would
replace or repair nearly 900 of the state’s 1,600 deficient bridges in
the next 15 years.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, made the
announcement near Paoli at the site where a Texas woman was killed in
July when a chunk of concrete from the State Highway 145 bridge fell
and struck her car as she was traveling below on Interstate 35.

The bridge has been repaired. But across the state, hundreds of other
bridges need attention and the state Transportation Department lacks
funding to repair them, said Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, whose district
includes the accident site.

The proposal calls for the Transportation Department to receive $102
million annually in set-aside funds for 15 years. Most of the money
will be used for maintenance of roads and bridges.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, who will author the 2020 Road and Bridges
Plan, said the money also will be used to pay off existing bond debt
and provide funding for the Heartland Flyer passenger train between
Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.

Broken down, the plan calls for:

-- $785 million to replace 314 bridges.

-- $138 million to repair 552 bridges.

-- $272 million for 2,176 miles of road repairs.

-- $75 million for 120 miles of median barriers.

-- $51.3 million for routine bridge and highway maintenance.

-- $29.1 million to secure matching funds to continue Heartland Flyer
service.

-- $357.1 million to pay bond debt of previous projects.

“These dollars are critical to improve our transportation
infrastructure,� Gov. Brad Henry said.

Henry said he and Senate leaders hope the plan can be enacted this
session so the Transportation Department can receive the first
installment this year.

“Governor Henry is right. We have tremendous transportation infrastructure needs in Oklahoma. I applaud his willingness to devote additional growth revenue in the next fiscal year to transportation issues, including the Heartland Flyer, but I think we need to do more.

“We’re going to make a record deposit in the Rainy Day Fund in June and expect to have another additional $200 million in FY 2005 revenue. As I told the members of the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on Tuesday, I think we need to consider investing that money into repairing our roads and bridges, as well.

“A $300 million investment would be a great start toward making Oklahoma’s roads and bridges safer.”

Note: Governor Brad Henry today announced that, when it meets next week, the State Board of Equalization is expected to increase the state revenue certification for Fiscal Year 2006 by $105 million. The governor proposed using the bulk of that money for transportation needs including road and bridge maintenance and funding for the Heartland Flyer.

For more information contact:
Senate Communications Office - (405) 521-5774

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Sunday December 5, 2004
From KOTV Television Tulsa:
Transportation Officials Say Amtrak Service Is Threatened

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A state transportation official says Oklahoma faces
losing Amtrak service if funding isn't provided by next September.

Joe Kyle with the state Transportation Department says the current
contract expires in September 2005. He says there's no funding in place
for the Heartland Flyer after that.

The Heartland Flyer provides daily service from Oklahoma City to Fort
Worth, Texas, and back. It began in 1999 with $23 million dollars in
federal funding.

The state is now paying three-point-nine million dollars to Amtrak
for passenger rail service.

Supporters of passenger rail service say they're looking to the state
Legislature and Congress in the coming year for more money.