A bill that would place authority over the state’s airports in the hands of an airport corporation passed a state Senate committee Wednesday.
Senate Bill 2996, which would remove authority over the state’s commercial airports from the Department of Transportation and put it into the hands of a corporation operated by a board of nine governor-appointed members, passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee with a unanimous 11-0 vote.
The bill is intended to improve the efficiency of the state’s airport functions, with the corporation being able to approve construction projects more quickly than the DOT.
The bill now awaits a third reading and subsequent floor vote before the full Senate. If the vote is successful, it will move to the state House of Representatives.