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Legislature & Governor
Agree on Transportation Bonds & Prop 42 Fix
The California State Senate
and Assembly recently approved a $37.3 billion package of
bonds for highways, schools, levees and affordable housing.
The measure includes almost $20 billion for highways and
public transit, as well as language to protect Proposition
42, a measure voters approved by nearly 70 percent in 2002
to dedicate the sales tax on gasoline to transportation.
Deliberations among
legislative leaders and the Governor over competing
infrastructure investment strategies nearly resulted in a
package aimed at the June ballot but major ideological
differences between party leaders prevented a compromise
until last week.
"We did our job. It's nice
to get something accomplished," Senate President Don Perata
told reporters after the vote. "This is probably the biggest
accomplishment certainly I've seen in this building in quite
awhile, just in terms of our commitment to the future of the
state's economy and its infrastructure."
The bond legislation passed
with strong bipartisan support and substantial majorities in
each house. On the transportation bonds, the Senate vote was
37-1 and the Assembly vote was 61-9. The bond measure, which
the governor has called "a landmark accomplishment," now
will go to voters in November.
"Today is an important day
for all of California. For the first time in a generation,
we are making a real investment in our state's future”,
stated Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger following the
successful passage of the bond measure by both houses of the
legislature. "I want California to once again be the Golden
State it once was. We must rebuild our state to make that a
reality. With tonight's vote, we have made significant
progress toward that goal."
An important part of this
package is the constitutional amendment protecting
Proposition 42 from being raided for non-transportation
purposes. For the first three years since its approval by
voters in 2002, the Governor and legislature had diverted
Proposition 42 funds from transportation to fill the general
fund budget gap. A consortium of transportation industry
and labor organizations had collected more than a million
signatures and was prepared to file a "hard fix" initiative
for Proposition 42 for the November ballot and prevent
future diversion of Proposition 42 funds away from
transportation accounts.
Approval of the bond
package by lawmakers means the four bond measures along with
a proposal to keep gas taxes from being diverted to other
programs will all be on the November ballot.
The infrastructure package
includes:
Proposition 1A - This
measure closes the loophole in Proposition 42 to ensure that
gas tax revenues are used to pay for transportation projects
rather than diverted to other programs.
Proposition 1B - The
Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port
Security Bond Act, which provides $19.9 billion to make
safety improvement on highways, widen roads, reduce
congestion, improve public transit and improve
anti-terrorism security at California ports.
Proposition 1C - The
Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act, which provides
$2.9 billion for shelters for battered women, clean and safe
housing for low-income senior citizens, homeownership
assistance for the disabled, military veterans and working
families, and repairs and accessibility improvements to
apartments for families and the disabled.
Proposition 1D - The
Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act
providing $10.4 billion to build and modernize K-12
classrooms and expand the state's universities and community
colleges.
Proposition 1E - The Disaster
Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act, which would
earmark $4.1 billion to repair levees and improve flood
protection throughout the state.
If the transportation bond measure passes, it would
provide about $70 million for transit, local streets and
state highway capital improvement projects in Santa Barbara
County. Other discretionary bond programs could benefit the
county including a state-local partnership program that
provides matching funds for counties that have approved
local transportation sales tax measures like our Measure D.
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