House plan on transportation governance revealed

Here are the basics of the House's new bill on transportation governance (aka "Who controls billions of tax dollars), as described by state Rep. David Ralston, who is speaking to the House Transportation Committee now:

• The money still flows through the Georgia Department of Transportation. No new agency is created.
• DOT board members are elected "in the same manner" as they are now. But they have less power over the allocation of funding to projects.
  
• A new planning division and director are created at DOT. The director is appointed by the governor, not the board, and will serve only as long as the appointing governor serves.
• The planning director will put together a statewide transportation plan, which is essentially a list of projects. The governor has to approve this plan, which he submits to the General Assembly.
• The General Assembly makes appropriations to the DOT like any other state department. It can appropriate money to specific projects on the governor's list, giving legislators more control over what projects do and don't get done. Said Ralston: "those spending items that survive that process are going to be included and those that do not will not be."
• The DOT commissioner will be tasked with implementing the plan, "subject to appropriation."
  
• The DOT commissioner will gain the power to hire and fire direct subordinates, such as the chief engineer. This has taken board action in the past.
• Changes the public-private initiative (PPI) rules. Basically anything in the state transportation plan that doesn't get funded by the state would be available for private bids, at the discretion of the DOT.

Having a planning director would "accomplish the goal of having someone outside of the day-to-day, perhaps, political pressures of the department in charge of giving us a statewide perspective," Ralston said.

I haven't seen the bill itself yet. When I do, I'll update. The above is based on my listening to Rep. Ralston's presentation, without the opportunity to ask questions yet.

UPDATE: Here's a good explainer quote from Rep. Ralston: "Ultimate approval or disapproval of spending decisions will rest with this General Assembly."

UPDATE: From Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams: “I am very encouraged that the House passed the DOT governance bill, Senate Bill 200, out of committee today. Improving the governance structure of transportation in Georgia is critical to our state. While I still have reservations about the House’s changes, this is an important step.”

UPDATE: I haven't had time to read the bill carefully. Go see what Dick Pettys wrote about it.