Vote Likely on High-Speed Rail by Friday

By Juliet Williams and Judy Lin, Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — State lawmakers plan to begin taking up Gov. Jerry Brown’s top infrastructure initiative for a California bullet train.

The Assembly was expected to vote Thursday afternoon on a bill authorizing the first leg of the high-speed rail line, which would start in the Central Valley.

The bill would authorize selling $2.6 billion in voter-approved state bonds, allowing California to tap $3.3 billion in federal grants. It also would allocate about $2 billion for regional transit improvements in Northern and Southern California.

Once complete, the $68 billion bullet train would connect San Francisco with Los Angeles.

It is not clear how the rest of the construction will be financed.

The bill is expected to face a contentious vote in the Senate, where it is expected to be taken up Friday.