State Senator Jeff Mullis was in Washington, D.C. recently to sign a letter to U.S. transportation officials, urging them to quickly disburse $90 million in federal maglev funds and to give the Atlanta-Chattanooga commuter rail project its equitable share. Mullis, a state senator since 2000 and chair of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, is also director of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority. Its main task is to help bring economic development to Walker, Catoosa, Chattooga and Dade counties. Mullis said that about $15 million of the federal funds would go to a proposed Atlanta-Chattanooga high-speed commuter rail line. “This is to continue moving the ball forward,” Mullis said. “Most of this money will pay for all the environmental and historical studies done along the route.” Mullis said the project would cost approximately $3 billion to complete, with most of the money coming from federal sources. “This money goes from federal highway dollars,” Mullis said. The federal government collects 18 cents of tax of every gallon of gas purchased by Americans.  (Walker County Messenger)