A memo circulated by Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy instructs the department to prioritize funding for communities with higher marriage and birth rates, sparking controversy. Critics argue the directive is unusual and potentially discriminatory against states with aging populations. The memo also calls for prohibiting vaccine and mask mandates for recipients of transportation funding and requiring cooperation with immigration enforcement.
Read full article: Georgia lawmaker proposes end to school zone speed camerasSt. Johns County rejects proposal to reintroduce non-residential business fees for road fundingCasey DeSantis, wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is rumored to be considering a run for governor and could face-off against Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a President Donald Trump ally.Could Casey DeSantis and Byron Donalds face off in a Trump vs.
With hundreds of billions of dollars in transportation money still unspent from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, such changes could be a boon for projects in Republican-majority states, which on average have higher fertility rates than those leaning Democratic. Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn raised the idea of tying transportation funding to population growth during Duffy’s confirmation hearing.
The U.S. birth rate has been declining since 2007, which Hayford attributes in part to economic uncertainty during the Great Recession. She said research has tied higher birth rates to areas with lower education. “On its face, it’s social engineering. But clearly and indisputably, it is a dagger aimed at blue states,” he said. “It is patently discriminatory if you look at the numbers. This criteria was designed to punish blue states and coerce states to change their lawful policy on tolls, vaccines and immigration.”
Transportation Funding Political Controversy Family Policy Immigration Enforcement Republican Policy
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