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U.S. Rep. Davis Favors More Local Control Of Transit Funds

Staff

Central Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis wants to give more authority to state and local governments when it comes to improving the country's transportation infrastructure. Speaking before boarding a Connect Transit bus in Normal, Davis said his house bill empowers localities.

"If I'm successful in this bill, it will create more of a local stakeholder committee to make decisions on awards to groups like Connect Transit. It allows people who are more familiar with out local mass transit needs to have a say on who gets awarded the competitive funds versus who doesn't," Davis said.

Davis is conducting a two-day tour of transit operations in his expansive 13th district. Last December, President Obama signed the FAST (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Act, a five-year funding tool for transit agencies. Davis said the previous long-term funding bill cleared the house more than a decade ago.   That won't happen again, he promised.

"Long-term funding bills like the FAST Act will be part of our normal legislative process, rather than when I got to Washington a short three-and-a-half years ago, they became caught up in political polarization," Davis concluded.
 

Mike joined GLT's staff as a student reporter in February of 2016 having worked previously as a reporter at Illinois State University's student radio station, 103.3 WZND. He acted as a director for the WZND newsroom for two years. Mike was also seen as a reporter, producer, and anchor at TV-10 News. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in May of 2017 before starting his post-graduate career with the Public Affairs Reporting Masters Program at University of Illinois Springfield.
Willis is a Bloomington, IL, native. During his senior year at Bloomington High School, he finished third in the "Radio Speaking" division of the state speech contest, the only year he competed.
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