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Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) released the following statement in response to a recent media report that the high-speed rail needs an additional $3.2 billion in order to complete the Bakersfield to Merced line, which is on top of the already existing $7 billion budget gap that was already reported:
“The high-speed rail project continues to suffer from self-inflicted wounds, and I am extremely disturbed to learn about this latest information, which further erodes the public’s trust in a project as proposed will never be built.
“Newsom’s lifeline of an annual $1 billion for the high-speed rail in his latest May Revise would never revive this mismanaged project.
“As vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to have a serious conversation on how we can discontinue this failed project as our state truly does not have the money to waste, and Californians are sensitive to government waste.”
After taking office in March, Senator Strickland’s first legislative action included introducing Senate Bill 94 to defund the controversial high-speed rail and used those funds to reduce the gas tax. SB 94 did not pass out of the Senate Taxation and Revenue Committee.