Home » Santa Clarita News » Politics » Wilk To Present Bill To Support Schools Over Rail In Committee
State Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, posted this picture to Twitter. Wilk, along with Santa Clarita City Council members, has been openly against the High Speed Rail Project
State Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, posted this picture to Twitter. Wilk, along with Santa Clarita City Council members, has been openly against the High Speed Rail Project.

Wilk To Present Bill To Support Schools Over Rail In Committee

Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, is scheduled to present Assembly Bill 6 in the Assembly Transportation Committee at 1:30 p.m.


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AB 6 will give voters the chance in November of 2016 to stop the sale of bonds sold for high-speed rail and repurpose up to $8 billion in high-speed rail bonds for the construction and modernization of school facilities.

“To me this bill is really about starting the dialogue on (the state’s funding priorities),” Wilk said in a previous interview, noting the state is making billion-dollar plans while “there’s an $8 billion to $10 billion deficit in school funding for construction. These are projects that are shovel-ready.”

Wilk introduced AB 6 on the first day of the session, he said, to put the onus on legislators in support of what he called a multibillion-dollar boondoggle.

“(Members of the Assembly) are going to have to cast a tough vote,” he said.

The discussion is set to take place in the Assembly Transportation Committee at 1:30 p.m.

Next Monday, April 27, Wilk and other Santa Clarita Valley leaders are expected at an emergency high speed rail meeting.

From a previous story: Santa Clarita Calls Emergency Meeting For High Speed Rail Project

The meeting is scheduled to be held Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Canyon High School gym and is open to the public.

Called by the city of Santa Clarita officials, the meeting is being held to help prevent the siting of a high speed rail project through existing homes, churches and schools.

State Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, posted this picture to Twitter.  Wilk, along with Santa Clarita City Council members, has been openly against the High Speed Rail Project

The state project, led by the California High Speed Rail Authority, aims to build a high speed rail system that will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles at speeds up to 200 miles per hour.  The local route, which will impact communities along the Highway 14 corridor, is planned from Burbank to Palmdale.

Two of the Authority’s proposed alignments targeted for further study could result in the removal of two elementary schools, a church and homes in the Santa Clarita, Acton, Agua Dulce and City of San Fernando areas.

A third alternative would completely bypass existing neighborhoods and it is this “east corridor alignment” that the Santa Clarita City Council supports.

“We want to send a message to the California High Speed Rail Authority that the east corridor alignment would not only avoid risking our neighborhoods, but is also more direct and potentially less expensive,” explained Mayor Marsha McLean.

A tremendous turnout at the meeting is needed to help the California High Speed Rail Authority understand the community’s needs, according to officials.

“We need a great turnout at the meeting to let the Authority know how important this issue is to the Santa Clarita, Acton, Agua Dulce and the City of San Fernando communities.  We are encouraging everyone to attend the emergency meeting on April 27,” added Mayor McLean.

For more information on the Rail Proposal and the meeting, visit the website.

The 38th Assembly District encompasses Simi Valley, the northwestern section of the San Fernando Valley and most of the Santa Clarita Valley

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Wilk To Present Bill To Support Schools Over Rail In Committee

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.