A JOINT RESOLUTION urging congress to end north carolina's status as a donor state of federal highway tax revenues, and to return one hundred percent of the federal HIGHWAY revenues the state remits to the federal GOVERNMENT each year, in order for THE state to address its urgent TRANSPORTATION needs, as recommended by the 21st century transportation committee.
Whereas, under the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the State received 82.7% return on the federal highway tax revenue it remitted to the federal Highway Trust Fund; and
Whereas, under the federal 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA‑21), the State received 89.2% return on the federal highway tax revenue it remitted to the federal Highway Trust Fund; and
Whereas, the 2005 federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA‑LU) promised that the State would increase its share of federal highway revenue to 92% by the 2008‑2009 fiscal year; and
Whereas, under SAFETEA‑LU, the State has so far received only 89.7% of the federal highway tax revenue it remitted to the federal Highway Trust Fund; and
Whereas, since 1956, the State has contributed $18,133,902,000 in federal highway tax revenue, but only received $16,474,174,000 in return; and 
Whereas, North Carolina is a rapidly growing State with urgent transportation needs; and 
Whereas, the State is strategically located along the east coast transportation corridor; and
Whereas, the State is home to many important federal military installations that would benefit from improved transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas, the State has complied with federal transportation safety mandates; and
Whereas, the State's urgent transportation needs that could be addressed if the State received a fair share of the federal highway tax revenue it remitted to the federal Highway Trust Fund each year; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1.  The President of the United States and the United States Congress are urged to provide the State with all the federal highway tax funds it was promised under the 2005 federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA‑LU), and to end the State's status as a donor state of federal highway tax revenues in the next federal transportation reauthorization act, due for enactment by Congress in 2009, by providing the State with one hundred percent (100%) of the federal highway funds it remits in federal taxes to the federal Highway Trust Fund each year. 
SECTION 2.  The President of the United States and the United States Congress are respectfully requested to advise the North Carolina General Assembly of the actions they intend to take to address the current inequities in federal transportation funding.
SECTION 3.  The President of the United States and the United States Congress are advised that the North Carolina General Assembly supports federal legislation designating federal transportation funds for the replacement of the Yadkin River Bridge on Interstate 85 in Davidson and Rowan Counties.
SECTION 4.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a copy of this joint resolution to the President of the United States and to each member of the United States Congress representing North Carolina.
SECTION 5.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.