Plan to fund beleaguered Bay Area transit agencies in 2026 faces political headwinds

Plan to fund beleaguered Bay Area transit agencies in 2026 faces political headwinds

The stakes are high as Bay Area Democrats in the state Legislature advance a bill that would ask local voters to bail out struggling public transit agencies by raising sales taxes. But weak polling and mounting divisions between business and labor groups are raising doubts among key lawmakers about its viability. “With so many disparate interests out there, there’s tremendous risk to this ending badly,” said state Sen. Dave Cortese, a San Jose D…