Media Coverage
Source: InfraAmericas
Media Coverage
08.22.12
Michael McNamara, a partner in Pillsbury’s litigation group in Washington D.C., was quoted in an article discussing Maryland’s Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown advocating the importance of public-private-partnerships or P3s to help rebuild the state’s infrastructure. Previously, a commission that proposed pro-P3s legislation was led by Brown. Although the state’s House of Delegates and the Senate approved different versions, the bill failed to pass the General Assembly.
“The bill simply ran out of time,” McNamara said. However, the bill stands a “very good chance” of passing when the legislature reconvenes in January 2013 and it will likely get help from Brown’s strong advocacy of P3s, he added.
Maryland estimates that P3s could contribute six percent to 10 percent of the state’s annual capital budget, McNamara said. P3s will likely be used for transportation projects, he said, as a recent report by a blue-ribbon commission found that the state will have to find an additional $870 million in new transportation revenue to fund current needs.
Another pressing need that P3s can fill is in the construction and rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools, using the availability-payment model, McNamara said.