GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 345*

–––––––––––––––––––- 
Sponsors: Senators Goldston, Plyler, Basnight, and Royall.

–––––––––––––––––––- 
Referred to:  Rules and Operation of the Senate.

–––––––––––––––––––- 

March 6, 1989

A JOINT RESOLUTION REQUESTING CONGRESS TO ABOLISH THE ANNUAL OBLIGATION CEILINGS ESTABLISHED FOR THE FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY PROGRAMS.
Whereas, Congress established the federal Highway Trust Fund to provide federal-aid to the states for highway and transportation purposes and to assure the highway user would pay for these programs; and 
Whereas, the source of funds for the federal Highway Trust Fund consists of federal highway user fees and revenues; and
Whereas, expenditures from the federal Highway Trust Fund cannot exceed the highway user fees and revenues in the Trust Fund and these expenditures have not and can never contribute to the federal deficit; and 
Whereas, Congress has already reduced the obligation authority for the federal-aid highway programs to twelve billion three hundred fifty million dollars ($12,350,000,000) per year through 1991 as part of an effort to control federal expenditures and to reduce the apparent size of the federal deficit; and 
Whereas, the highway construction and rehabilitation needs, now and in the foreseeable future, greatly exceed the state and federal-aid funds available to meet these needs; and 
Whereas, the increasing backlog of critically needed highway improvements is resulting in increased traffic delays, congestion, and accident costs and is having a detrimental impact on our State's economic growth and development; Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
Section 1.  The North Carolina General Assembly strongly recommends that Congress abolish the federal obligation ceiling established for federal-aid highway programs and make available to the states full funding authority for the dedicated highway user revenues generated by the federal Highway Trust Fund.
Sec. 2.  The Secretary of State shall send certified copies of this resolution to the North Carolina Congressional Delegation.
Sec. 3.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.