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Newsom vetoes high-speed rail oversight bill weeks after scathing audit of rail agency
The veto followed a report finding nearly $600,000 in unallowable consultant travel expenses and left the watchdog without new hiring and contracting powers.
- Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1608 on Wednesday, blocking legislation by Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson that would have granted the Office of Inspector General authority to hire staff and sign contracts under $1 million.
- The Office of Inspector General, created in 2022 to oversee the high-speed rail project, has never been fully staffed because it lacks the independent authority to hire the specialized personnel necessary for complex audits.
- Two weeks ago, auditors reported the High-Speed Rail Authority approved nearly $600,000 in unallowable consultant travel expenses. The Office separately incurred an extra $1 million in costs due to state-mandated contracting delays.
- In his veto message Wednesday, Newsom urged the Office to work through existing administrative processes, stating his administration has supported the Inspector General through "targeted actions" and prior measures shielding sensitive records.
- Inspector General Ben Belnap expressed disappointment but plans to collaborate with the governor's staff to resolve operational hurdles, warning he will "think outside the box" if those efforts prove insufficient for adequate oversight.
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Newsom vetoes rail oversight bill after watchdog’s scathing audit
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed legislation this week that would have strengthened oversight of the state’s troubled high-speed rail project. The decision comes less than a month after the project’s inspector general issued a scathing audit detailing hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable spending by rail consultants. The timing puts renewed scrutiny on […]
·Washington, United States
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Cal Matters+7 Reposted by 7 other sources
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail oversight bill weeks after scathing audit of rail agency
The measure would have allowed the Office of the Inspector General that oversees the high-speed rail authority to hire more highly trained workers for audits and investigations.
·Sacramento, United States
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Left
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Left
56% Left
L 56%
C 22%
R 22%
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