Election Shifts Balance of Power In Several State Legislatures

State trucking associations were still gauging the effect of changes at the legislative level last week, following the Nov. 7 general election. In response to a Transport Topics survey, several association executives noted shifts in control to either the Republicans or Democrats in their state assemblies that portend more or less difficulty in moving trucking agendas forward.

Colorado — The Democrats gained an 18-17 edge in the Senate while the Republicans held onto their House majority.

“This will make it more difficult for the governor, a Republican, to move his agenda through the legislature,” said Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. Fulton feels the legislative focus will shift more toward social issues and education and away from the tax reduction measures of interest to the trucking industry.

Connecticut — The makeup of the state legislature remained mostly unchanged. State Sen. Billy Ciotto, chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation and an ally of the industry, was re-elected and should retain his chair, according to the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut.

Mike Riley, president, said the re-election of Ciotto and others in the legislature should ensure that transportation issues such as congestion, passenger rail service expansion and intermodal facilities improvements will be a high priority in the new six-month session beginning in January.

For the full story, see the Nov. 20 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.