At the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Friday, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell spelled out his solution for paying for a new Brent Spence Bridge. The Republican says he will propose repealing the Davis-Bacon Act that requires the government to pay the local prevailing wage for federal projects.
By getting rid of this requirement, McConnell says, it will provide $13 billion to the Brent Spence and other bridges in need of repair over a ten year period.
McConnell said, "Look, I'm opposed to tolls. The reason I'm suggesting this now is because Frankfort has not come up with a solution. The session is over. We know no solution has been put forward and so we need to go in a different direction."
Former Rep. Geoff Davis was at the event. He said, "This is the most credible proposal I've heard of.”
Not everybody is in favor
Covington Vice Mayor Steve Frank is also opposed to tolls. However, he thinks the chance of a repeal of Davis-Bacon "is between zero and none." He says at some point the lawmakers are going to have to come together to work out a solution. As it stands now he says, "Stalemate. You lose. No toll, no bridge. It's over."
McConnell's Democratic opponent this fall, Alison Lundergan Grimes has a different plan. She would pay for the bridge by ending some federal corporate tax deductions.
Ohio all set to go
On June 11, Ohio Governor John Kasich came to Cincinnati to sign a bill into law that would allow tolls. Kentucky lawmakers have said they oppose tolls for the Brent Spence.
