HARRISBURG — A new study suggests that more than $200 million a year in highway construction funds are being diverted unconstitutionally to subsidize the Pennsylvania State Police.

A Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report this week calculated the “appropriate and justifiable” level of highway funding for the state police at $532.8 million. That’s based on last fiscal year, when Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers approved $755 million in highway funds for the state police.

Under the state constitution, motorist fees and fuel taxes are strictly for highway construction, repair and safety.

Those dollars help underwrite the estimated $600 million a year it costs for free, full-time state police coverage to 2.5 million residents in municipalities that don’t pay for a local police force.