Senate OKs bill authorizing toll roads
CARSON CITY — The state Senate today on a 15-6 vote approved a bill to authorize the construction of toll roads in Nevada.
Under Senate Bill 206, toll roads would not be allowed unless a similar number of free lanes of highway are available for a driver to take instead of the toll road.
Also, a commission consisting of the governor, lieutenant governor, legislators and others would be required to approve any privately funded toll road before it could be built.
Legislators made no comments as the bill was approved.
Chances of the proposal ultimately being approved appear unlikely.
The proposal now will be forwarded to the Assembly Transportation Committee for additional hearings.
The committee last week let a bill authorizing a toll road in Las Vegas die without a vote.
Chairman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, said residents do not like toll roads, particularly during a recession when money is scare.
In passing the toll road bill, all nine Senate Republicans and six of the 12 Democrats backed the bill.
Voting no were Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, Bob Coffin, Terry Care, Valerie Wiener and Maggie Carlton, all Clark County Democrats, and Bernice Mathews, D-Reno.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
