Sacramento, CA – AB 1569, a bill created to expedite road repairs and maintenance on California highways was defeated by the status quo Sacramento politicians. This policy was also proposed by Governor Jerry Brown as part of his September 2015 transportation proposal, and was referenced in his January 2016 budget as a measure to achieve cost-savings for the state.
Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources Das Williams stated, “Nice try…if you want to help, vote for a tax.” Assemblyman Steinorth expressed concern that even basic road repairs are suffering at the hands of partisan politics. “I appreciate you making this a Republican and Democrat issue, but in my district, my neighborhood, my community, they don’t care about Republican and Democrat. They care about having roads to get to their work.”
“I am disappointed by the priorities of Sacramento. This legislature is simply out of touch. While they continue to kill any effort to prioritize critical road repairs, my constituents in the Inland Empire face long commutes on deteriorating roads every day,” said Steinorth. “Californians pay some of the highest taxes in the nation, but aren’t seeing that money invested back into our infrastructure. This is irresponsible governance and a true disservice to the people we serve.”
Limited in scope, the legislation would have exempted the inspection, maintenance, replacement, or repair of existing highways and roadways from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA has become a notorious litigation tool used by opponents to delay or even halt projects which are opposed for any myriad of reasons.
“California has identified $59 billion worth of necessary transportation repairs,” stated Steinorth. “We owe it to our hardworking taxpayers to make sure we complete these projects as efficiently and quickly as possible. That means cutting back the red tape and bureaucracy that will certainly delay critical road maintenance.”
Assemblyman Steinorth represents the 40th Assembly District which includes Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Highland, Loma Linda, and Redlands.
