Sen. Kirk proposing plan to up private funding

CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk said Monday he will propose legislation that encourages privatization to create more money for transportation projects nationwide, while his Democratic counterpart in Illinois, Sen. Dick Durbin, wants legislation to keep a closer eye on such deals.

Kirk, Illinois' Republican junior senator, estimated his plan could spur more than $100 billion to build new highways, railroads, public transportation, airports and ports, in part, by removing federal restrictions on private-public partnerships. He wants to lift barriers to private investment in the nation's airports, something he said is happening in cities around the world, and make it easier for privatization deals involving the nation's highways.

“Not a panacea, but certainly a substantial amount of new money,” Kirk said at a Chicago news conference.

Another example, he said, is that states could earn money if they leased out their highway rest stops, as long as parking and restrooms remained free. He said there's a privately leased rest area in Delaware that's making $1.6 million annually for the state.

Durbin recently introduced legislation that would require state and local governments to repay federal money used for transportation before such assets are sold or leased to a private company.

“Any deal to sell or lease these assets should be closely examined and include a return on the federal taxpayer investment,” Durbin said in a statement announcing his legislation last week.

Kirk said while his proposal runs counter to Durbin's, he doesn't think Durbin's proposal has a “bright future” in the Republican-controlled U.S. House.

“Sen. Durbin has been talking to his colleagues and feels there is a good amount of support for his common sense legislation. He is still reviewing Sen. Kirk's proposal but believes there is a lot of common ground between the two bills,” Durbin spokeswoman Christina Angarola said Monday.