SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ The group behind the failed gas-tax repeal effort was given state approval Thursday to begin collecting signatures for a new initiative to cancel the high-speed rail project and revamp state transportation funding.
The initiative was proposed by former San Diego City Council member and radio host Carl DeMaio before the November election as an answer to opponents of Proposition 6, which would have repealed an increase in the state gas tax but was rejected by voters.
The new initiative would shift about $10 billion in state revenues from state and local non-transportation programs to local transportation funds, resulting in potential deep cuts to general fund revenue used for other state services, according to an analysis released Thursday by state Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor.
The initiative would also end funding for the bullet train project, cutting off tens of billions of dollars needed to complete the high-speed rail system, Taylor said.
DeMaio said his coalition was still discussing options, including a petition drive to qualify the proposal for the 2020 ballot.
The title and summary for the initiative were issued Thursday by the state attorney general's office, drawing a complaint from DeMaio that the title is "misleading."
The title that would be on petitions if they are circulated would be "Removes responsibility and funding for state highway construction and maintenance from state. Transfers such responsibility and funding to individual, local governments. Ends state high speed rail project."
"The primary purpose of our initiative is to lockbox 100 percent of the gas tax to road repairs, but that has been explicitly removed from the title," DeMaio said.
