H.4452 would alter the makeup of the seven member State Transportation Infrastructure Bank (STIB) Board by requiring all seven of its members be appointed by the Governor. Under current law the STIB board is comprised of: two members appointed by the House Speaker, two members appointed by Senate President Pro Tem, two members appointed by the Governor, and the Chairman of the DOT commission.
It is a good general principle to shift appointment power from legislators unaccountable to the entire state, to the Governor who is accountable to the full electorate. However, in the case of the STIB board merely altering its membership is not true transportation reform. The STIB finances construction projects through debt, favors a few counties with its dollars, only finances new infrastructure construction (never maintenance), and puts a further strain on the limited amount of state road maintenance funding that is available. Little if any of this would change by altering the composition of STIB board members.
True transportation reform means abolishing the STIB and using the funds it currently receives for road maintenance and repair instead.