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House Passes P3 Bill, Without Toll Ban

The Kentucky House has passed a bill that would allow the state to engage in public-private-partnerships, or P3s on major projects.

The bill passed 84-13 without an amendment that would have prohibited using a P3 to finance a toll bridge connecting Covington and Cincinnati.

A similarly amended bill was vetoed by Gov. Steve Beshear last year.

The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Leslie Combs, said P3s are necessary because the state is running out of money.

“We don’t have any more ways to fund and finance. That’s what it is, another option at financing and finding a way beyond what we have available to us.”

Much of the debate on the bill surrounded the possibility of a P3, and tolls, being used to finance a $2.6 billion replacement of the Brent-Spence Bridge at Cincinnati.

Beshear and Ohio Governor John Kasich both support tolling to help pay for the bridge.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.
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