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Transportation Bill Will Be on August Ballot

May 28, 2002
By: Julie Kroenig
State Capital Bureau

A bill that Matt Blunt warned might not make it on the ballot went through a speedy process.

Julie Kroenig has the story in Jefferson City.

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Last week Missouri's Secretary of State said that a transportation bill may not get on the August ballot.

That was because it was not signed until Tuesday's technical session at 1:00 in the afternoon.

It then needed to be approved by the attorney general, and state auditor and then faxed to all 116 local election offices within four hours....a process that usually takes about thirty days.

Blunt's spokesperson, Spence Jackson, says they finished with time to spare.

Actuality:Spence3
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Contents: We successfully faxed it to 116 officials in one hour and nine minutes.

The transportation bill will provide $511 million to highway and road improvements by raising fuel and sales use taxes.

Date: May 28, 2002

By: Julie Kroenig

State Capital Bureau

Legislative staffers were sprinting through the capitol...trying to get a bill on the ballot.

Julie Kroenig has the story in Jefferson City.

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A transportation bill was planned to be on the August ballot-for voters to decide if they want to raise fuel tax to improve roads and highways.

But last week Secretary of State Matt Blunt warned that they had only limited time to get it approved and faxed to local election officials.

Blunts spokesperson, Spence Jackson, says they had a lot to do in a little amount of time.

Actuality:Spence2
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Contents: Normally this process takes 30 days, we will do it in four hours

But by planning in advance, and literally running the bill from office to office, the bill will be on the August ballot.

This bill, if passed, will place $511 million dollars to transportation improvement.

Date: May 28, 2002

By: Julie Kroenig

State Capital Bureau

It was a footrace at the capitol to get a bill on August's ballot.

Julie Kroenig has the story in Jefferson City.

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RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

By running the bill from office to office, making it the first bill to be signed and by testing fax machines in advance, the transportation bill will be on the August ballot.

Last week, Secretary of State Matt Blunt warned that a bill to put $511 million towards highway improvements may not have enough time to make it on the ballot.

The bill was signed during the technical session at 1:00 on Tuesday.

By 5:00 p.m. it needed to be approved by the attorney general and the state auditor and then faxed to all 116 local election officials.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder says that planning was done in advance to prepare for this time crunch.

Actuality:Kinder
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Contents: Last week, we spent a lot of time making sure that this would happen.

The bill is now in the hands of voters on the August 6th ballot.

From the state Capitol, this is Julie Kroenig.