NATIONAL NEWS

New York Times: Democrats Sketch Outline of Jobs Plan
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/politics/05jobs.html
Senate Democratic leaders unveiled a new “jobs agenda” on Thursday morning, and said they hoped to hold a first vote on the legislation early next week. But they offered no details, and presented only a scant outline of proposals they might pursue, some of which echo initiatives they failed to include in last year’s stimulus bill.

The New Republic: A Budget 'Freeze' on an Empty Highway Fund
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-avenue/budget-“freeze”-empty-highway-fund
...For transportation, however, it is not a clear story. Part of the reason is the schizophrenic nature of the major surface transportation programs that hold contract authority. While their budget authority is mandatory, the spending for highways and transit is discretionary. In the current context of the budgetary caps on discretionary programs, which category gets “frozen”? If it is the funding, then surface transportation is not under the incidence of the freeze. If the cap refers to actual outlays, surface transportation is on the chopping block with other federal discretionary programs.

STATE NEWS

DC Streetsblog: TIGER Grant Winners to be Announced By February 17
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/tiger-grant-winners-to-be-announced-by-february-17/
The winners of $1.5 billion in merit-based transportation stimulus grants through the program known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) will be announced on or perhaps even before February 17, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood confirmed this week.

Dallas Morning News: Another GOP senator supports gas-tax increase ...
http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/another-gop-senator-supports-g.html
... and this one has a primary opponent in his re-election bid.  Nevertheless, Greenville's Bob Deuell told members of our editorial board this week that he would support a one-time boost of 10 cents a gallon in the motor fuels tax -- the same increase that Republican John Carona of Dallas has called for.

Journal Sentinel: Toll Roads Inevitable, Says Former Wisconsin Transportation Secretary
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/83565632.html
Toll roads in Wisconsin are unavoidable, given the need for billions of dollars to pay for road and transportation improvements in the state, a former state transportation secretary said Thursday.