George Skelton: On bullet train, Senate delivers when it counts

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

When the state Senate authorized initial spending on California’s bullet train project, it was one of the closest and most unpredictable votes in recent memory.

In Thursday’s column, George Skelton recaps how Democratic leaders were able to round up the needed votes. A lot was at stake -- if lawmakers voted down the spending, the federal government may have withdrawn much-needed money for the project. But some lawmakers were convinced the plan to begin construction in the Central Valley would be the death of an otherwise good idea.

Skelton shows how Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Gov. Jerry Brown called in favors, made promises and used a light touch to line up support. They succeeded in squeezing ‘yes’ votes out of seven skeptical senators.

‘Brown and the legislative leadership won a big victory. The system worked,’ Skelton writes. ‘In future years, we’ll all see whether it worked for just bullet boosters or all the people of California.’

More from George Skelton.

ALSO:

California Senate vote keeps bullet train alive

Is California’s high-speed train on track or off the rails?

High-speed rail officials rebuffed proposal from French railway