The U.S. Highway 69 Association has had a good track record recently with lobbying local legislators in Washington, so one can’t blame them for making a return trip on Tuesday.
This year, the association members made a request of $4.5 million to continue work on turning U.S. Highway 69 into a four-lane freeway from Kansas City to Interstate 44.
“We made four stops on this trip,” said Jim AuBuchon, Highway 69 Association executive director. “We met with a member of Sen. [Pat] Roberts’s staff. With [Sen. Sam] Brownback, we had about 45 minutes with him and a member of his staff. With [Rep. Lynn] Jenkins we spent close to 30 minutes with her and her staff and wrapped up with [Rep. Jerry] Moran, and sat with him for 40 minutes and a member of his staff.”
AuBuchon said the association sent six to Washington, including himself, association president Ken Brock, former president Dean Mann, association secretary Blake Benson, Pittsburg city commissioner Marty Beezley, and Fort Scott city commissioner Dick Hedges. The group flew to Washington Monday evening and returned Tuesday afternoon.
The group asked for $4.5 million to help in preparing the Bourbon County and Crawford County segments of Highway 69 “ready for construction,” AuBuchon said. He said the group asked that the Kansas Department of Transportation be given the latitude to spend that money however it wished.
“We want to get Fort Scott and southward ready for construction,” AuBuchon said. “In all cases, the legislators were very supportive of our efforts. While they couldn’t say for sure what they could do, because it’s early in the appropriation process, they assured us that they believed it was a very important project for southeast Kansas.”
For the past five to six years, the association has made regular lobbying efforts to Washington, with fairly good success, earning earmarks and funding. But AuBuchon said the full result of Tuesday’s trip wouldn’t be known for some time.
“In other words, they didn’t say they were going to find the $4.5 million we want,” AuBuchon said. “They’re not in a position to say that right now. We did get their assurances that they have the same priorities that we do. They know it’s important to get that done for southeast Kansas. They’ve pledged their support to the project.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
