AUGUSTA - In response to the proposed transportation funding cuts approved by the Appropriations Committee majority over the weekend, Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note released the following statement:

"I was surprised and disheartened that the Appropriations Committee majority, without notice, decided to assume control of the Highway Fund and divert nearly $60 million away from transportation resources starting next year. MaineDOT Work Plans require long-term, predictable funding, and if these proposed changes become law, we will have to cut work from our current Work Plan. Such a drastic change will impact everything we do, including highway and bridge projects, transit funding, and initiatives aimed at promoting resiliency and clean energy. Importantly, this will hobble our ability to apply for federal grants, which means the impact is more than the state funding cuts."