Speeding Towards Legislature

Sacramento, CA — The Governing Board of the state’s High Speed Rail project has voted to send a revised business plan to the California legislature.

The High Speed Rail Authority voted 6-0 yesterday to approve the rewritten plan, which now puts the price tag at $68 billion.

The Associated Press reports that during the public comment period, union members touted the project as a way to create jobs in a state that has battled double-digit unemployment for years, while critics targeted the project’s steep price tag. The amount is $23 billion more than what was sold to voters when it was okayed in 2008.

The legislature has until Aug. 31 to authorize a bond sale to get the project started. How it will be received in the legislature remains unknown. It does have the backing of Governor Jerry Brown.