Washington, D.C. —  Senator John Thune issued the following statement after the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2008 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies' (TTHUD) Appropriations bill. This bill contains several requests Senator Thune made on behalf of South Dakota.

"This measure would provide needed funding for some of South Dakota's most important transportation and economic development projects. Whether it's providing funding for programs geared toward helping at-risk South Dakota youths, or making improvements to South Dakota roads and bridges, this funding will strengthen our state's economy, create quality jobs and increase the quality of life for all South Dakotans."
FY 2008 TTHUD Appropriations highlights for South Dakota:

Overall Transportation Funding: The FY 2008 TTHUD Appropriations bill would provide $40.2 billion in funding authorized by the Transportation Reauthorization bill that Congress passed in 2005. South Dakota is slated to receive roughly $220 million in the coming year for road and bridge improvements across the state. This important funding is entirely funded through user fees that are collected from gasoline and diesel fuel. As a result of Senator Thune's work on the 2005 Transportation Reauthorization bill, South Dakota will continue to receive a 2-1 rate of return for every dollar of motor fuel tax that's collected.

Transportation Projects:

• $1 million for Ellsworth Air Force Base Access Road Improvements;


• $1 million for paving and road improvements on US 212 and SD 63 near Eagle Butte and the Cheyenne River Reservation;


• $900,000 for road improvements on SD 44 and SD 73, serving the Pine Ridge Reservation;


• $848,000 for road improvements near Wakpala, serving the Standing Rock Reservation;


• $500,000 for South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Connector Road.

Economic Development Projects:

• $800,000 for Children's Home Society in Sioux Falls;


• $200,000 for Canyon Lake Revitalization Study in Rapid City.

Other Projects that were included for South Dakota include:

• $3 million for road improvements on SD 11 and SD 42 in Sioux Falls;


• $2 million for Kenel road rehabilitation and resurfacing, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe;


• $1.69 million for road improvements on BIA Route 14 near Oglala;


• $1 million for BIA Route 27, near Oglala;


• $250,000 revolving loan fund recapitalization for the Four Bands Community Fund, Eagle Butte;


• $250,000 to upgrade the open class beef complex and hippodrome, SD State Fair Foundation, Huron.


• $250,000 Aberdeen downtown revitalization;


• $200,000 Spearfish Industrial Park infrastructure;


• $200,000 uptown revitalization in Watertown;


• $200,000 for Cheyenne River Youth Project and Teen Expansion, Eagle Butte.

Essential Air Service Funding:

• $110 million for the Essential Air Service program, which is a $600,000 increase over last year. This funding helps provide commercial air service to Brookings, Pierre, Huron, & Watertown.

Public Transportation Funding:

• $8.5 million for overall public transit funding for South Dakota.