Reported by Marcia Johnston, RailPAC Director

Some news from the State budget analyst: “The May CA State Budget Revision, released today, also proposes to spend $187 million in 2007-08 from Proposition 1B transportation bonds approved by the voters in Nov. 2006 for the purchase of intercity rail cars and locomotives.”

Heavy lobbying by the Capitol Corridor made this happen. No spending on this item was in the original proposal in the January budget plan.

Gene Skoropowski, Managing Director of the CCJPA comments on the news:

“This is good news indeed! Also, the legislative effort was a ‘team
effort’, and I suspect Caltrans folks, including Caltrans Director Will Kempton himself, helped a lot of people inside the Administration understand how important these voter-approved bond funds are to the state’s successful intercity rail program. Clearly, it is a vote-of-confidence in the program.”

Look for comments by the RailPAC staff over the next few days.