The BRIDGE Act, Building Roads, Improving Development, Growing the Economy, a proposal to raise $1.1 billion for transportation improvements for Mississippi, passed the state Senate Friday and is expected to be examined by the House this week.

The bill proposed by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves will be funded by issuing $150 million in debt and taking funds normally earmarked primarily for education, health care and law enforcement. It passed the Senate Tuesday by a 36-14 vote.

Estimates indicate about 60 percent of the revenue in the bill will go for state needs with 40 percent for local governments. In some cases, a local match will be needed to get state funds.

“We’ll probably take up the transportation bill Tuesday,” said District 55 Rep. Oscar Denton, D-Vicksburg. “I don’t see any new money in the bill. The only thing I see us doing is robbing Peter to pay Paul. We can continue to do this robbing business; we can do that for a long time until eventually it’s going to run out.”

District 54 Rep. Kevin Ford, R-Vicksburg, declined to comment on the bill, saying he had not seen the bill.

“We haven’t gotten it assigned (to a committee). We haven’t had a chance to look at it or read it, or anything.”

State Sen. Briggs Hopson said part of the bill is trying to create $25 million in savings per year from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“It also takes some of the money that has been set aside for the capital expenses fund,” he said. “Those are funds that come in in excess of the budget from the prior year. The proposal takes those funds and puts them into roads, bridges and some other infrastructure. It is taking money from different places, but it’s not taking money that’s been earmarked.”

The plan also takes some money from the state’s license tag fund, but has no provision for adding extra revenue, other than a surcharge for electric cars.

“They’re not paying for the roads,” Hopson said, adding that since electric cars do not use gas, they’re not paying the gasoline tax drivers of gas-powered vehicles pay when they buy gas.

“I’m sure the House is going to have some proposals (for the bill), too, that they’ve brought forward,I think this is a long way from done. I think the house has something that I think they’re going to pitch out, too,” Hopson said.

“And once it goes to conference, we’ll se if there’s any compromises on creating a fund that will help without breaking the bank or taxing people.”