A group of community members gathered inside North Community High School in North Minneapolis on Thursday evening to push back against the Republican-backed transportation funding plan being considered at the state capitol.

The Metropolitan Council has estimated it would leave the agency with a $35 million deficit.

"It affects fares and services," Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, (DFL) Minneapolis said. "So when you think about it, it's a big issue and also slows our growth for the future."

A representative from Minneapolis Public Schools also said the proposal would mean the district would be able to afford fewer transit passes for hundreds of the district's high school students who rely on public transportation. The Met Council estimates more than 10,000 students rely on mass transit to get to and from school across Minnesota.