Govern(at)or signs rail bill to get it on ballot

[phantom power]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who promised not to sign any bills until lawmakers reach a budget deal, reversed his position Tuesday and signed a measure for a statewide bullet train system that he strongly supports.

The governor also wants to make exceptions for three other proposals he has been promoting: budget reform; changing the state lottery to allow California to borrow against future ticket sales; and a bond for water infrastructure.

The high-speed rail legislation will replace a $10 billion bond measure on the November ballot with a revised version of the proposal that makes the bullet train system more appealing to voters statewide.

The legislation, AB3034, adds more specific oversight and spending rules to the plan, which calls for a 700-mile rail system that moves trains between San Francisco and Southern California at speeds of up to 220 mph.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/26/MN7S12ILOR.DTL&type=politics