Sen. Robert Stivers says bill clarifies funding and liability for rural swing bridges

Sen. Robert Stivers, president of the Kentucky State Senate, told the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee that Senate Bill 261 clarifies who may spend public and private money to maintain swinging or low-water bridges and defines liability when ownership is unclear. The committee voted to give the bill a favorable recommendation.

Why it matters: Stivers said swing bridges proved essential during recent floods in Eastern Kentucky, serving as the only route between communities when roads were submerged. Many of those structures were built decades ago on mixed ownership —some abutments sit on private land, some on right-of-way and in some cases federal land may be implicated — leaving cities and counties uncertain about whether they may expend public funds on repairs.

What the bill does: According to Stivers, the bill makes explicit that municipalities and county governments may spend public funds on maintaining these bridges and that private dollars may be used as well. It also clarifies responsibility for liabilities and, where appropriate, treats some bridges as tourism assets consistent with the state's tourism development framework. "This clarifies that private dollars can be spent, public dollars can be spent in maintaining these swing bridges," Stivers said, adding that many were ‘‘done for the public good.''

Committee action and next steps: Committee members offered no substantive opposition on the floor; a motion and second were called and the roll-call vote resulted in the committee recommending the bill should pass. The committee recorded Representative Elliott's affirmative vote after the initial tally at the request of the member. The transcript does not specify the bill's next committee or calendar assignment.