Newsom may veto bill giving California high-speed rail watchdog more power, sources say
Critics called it the "anti-transparency" bill. Newsom quietly enacted the controversial part and may now veto the part the rail watchdog says he needs, sources tell CBS California.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering a veto of a bill that would provide more oversight powers to an independent inspector general overseeing the state's $98 billion high-speed rail project, according to sources. The bill, Assembly Bill 1608, authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, has been moving through the Legislature, but the governor's office is said to be threatening to veto it.
The inspector general, Ben Belnap, appointed by Newsom, has called the tools in the bill "absolutely essential" for holding the High-Speed Rail Authority accountable. However, the governor's office has declined to comment specifically on the veto threat.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
