Big transportation package of Governor Jerry Brown faces Staunch Opposition in San Francisco

The Democratic plan to fix California’s roads faces major opposition from Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and Sen. According to the sources, Glazer wants the bill amended to include a provision prohibiting BART strikes.

In recent days, intense lobbying of moderate Democrats casts doubt on whether Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic leaders who unveiled SB1 last week will secure the two-thirds majority votes needed in each house to pass the bill. The bill would raise $52 billion over 10 years with new taxes and fees to repair the state’s bridges and roads.

Adrian Martinez, staff attorney at Earthjustice (nonprofit environmental law organization), said about this provision, “This is a giveaway to the trucking industry and should be taken out. This was thrust on people at the last minute. I’d be surprised if someone was arguing this is good for our air, good for our communities.”

Brown and legislative leaders imposed a Thursday deadline because they want the vote taken before lawmakers return to their districts for the weeklong spring break. The governor told Democrats he wasn’t sure the timing would ever be better to create a much-needed revenue source for repairing the crumbling roads of state.

The bill was unveiled only last week, although lawmakers have been talking for two years about how to pay for the state’s estimated $59 billion backlog in road and bridge maintenance and repairs.

While environmental and health groups say they agree that the state needs to take action on roads. They don’t agree with the provision in the bill they believe lawmakers added to win votes from lawmakers aligned with the trucking industry.

2016 S-Class Mercedes: