SCHUBERT FILES LEGISLATION TO DERAIL BULLET TRAIN
On Tuesday, State Representative Leighton Schubert (R-Caldwell), along with several members of the Texas House and Senate, filed legislation intended to stop a Houston to Dallas high-speed rail project proposed by a group of foreign investors.
Five Republican senators and four Republican state representatives filed a total of 18 bills addressing concerns with Texas Central Partners' proposed bullet train.
The bills complicate the company’s right to acquire property through eminent domain. In addition, the bills strengthen landowner protections and ask state agencies to assess the viability of the rail line. The bills also prohibit the state from maintaining or operating a high-speed rail line.
Schubert says one of the reasons why he filed the bill is to protect the tax payer:
Schubert says a recent independent study by the Reason Foundation shows that despite Texas Central Rail's claims that the project will be exclusively privately funded, the proposed project will lose over $537 million a year over its first 40 years of operation, and runs the risk of needing a public bail-out.
In addition, Schubert says there the project would have a detrimental impact on the citizens he represents:
Legislation by Representative Schubert includes:
- HB 2167 (Put Texas First): prohibits any state money from being used for any purpose related to a privately owned high-speed rail, unless the state acquires and maintains a lien in order to secure the repayment of state money. This lien will be superior to all other liens, effectively making Texas a priority creditor.
- HB 2168 (TXDOT Determination Before Surveys): prohibits land surveyors from entering a property (land or water) to make an examination or survey for a proposed high-speed rail facility unless the Texas Department of Transportation has determined the entity is a railroad company.
- HB 2169 (Security Requirements): requires a high-speed rail operator to implement safety and security regulations and guidelines in the same manner that is required by federal law for Amtrak, including providing on-board security for the entire rail line and operating security screening stations.
A spokeswoman for Texas Central Partners defended the project on Tuesday, saying Texas needs mobility options.
"Contrary to the national focus on infrastructure projects that stand to create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit millions of people, it is ironic that the proposed legislation calls for more government regulation in trying to block a free market-led project that will create jobs and generate economic development," said Holly Reed, the managing director of external affairs for Texas Central.
Schubert says the people of Texas deserve reasonable reassurances that their private property rights will be respected and that they will not be left "holding the bag" if the project fails. "I'm all for free enterprise and private sector development" said Schubert. "I'm a small business owner, but we also have a responsibility when Texas taxpayer dollars are potentially on the line."
One 80,000 pound truck does the damage to the highways in one mile as almost ten thousand cars just look at the FM and county roads that oil trucks traverse. The county is trying to get money from B N S F railroad now cause they damaged Pledged RD so trucks are in fact subsidized with our tax dollars no matter what you pay. Just ask your Congress man. Lobbyist at their best Sir. Point is that Hispeed trains would help ease travel that most of us already pay for out the nose that is unequivocally shared with trucks. You don’t need eight inches of cement under the family’s SUV like you have under the 18 wheelers.
Why have an efficient, safe mode of transportation like a train? The state can build another highway system for millions of cars to travel. And the millions of cars and trucks burn gas, which supports the oil industry, who keep the donations flowing to the current occupants of the Texas state house. And that, is the real reason Mr. Schubert filed the bill.
YOU GO SCHUBERT! I’m behind you.
Keep them out of our part of TEXAS! You go SCHUBERT!
I am disappointed to see our representatives standing so firmly in the way of progress. To say that a rail line will “divide the state” seems like a real stretch considering we already have rail lines all across our states and yet we do not seem divided (at least by a set of tracks). A narrow set of tracks normally should not result in a complete seizure of a family farm. I get that some land owners may not wish a track to go through their land, but this whole statement seems to vastly overstate what would actually happen.
With regards to the comments by Steve, the taxes and regulations on big trucks are substantial. My company operates big trucks and I can honestly state that we do in fact pay our fair share and maybe more.
Somebody needs to come up with some sort of transportation besides highways TEXAS lawmakers. 18 wheelers damage highways and bridges and pay little taxes compared to the damage they do to the highways and when we build new highways they are built at tremendous costs because of trucks in other words the people subsidize these vehicles. So why don’t you do something useful like road use tax legislation for big trucks. Better idea let the trucks build there own roads like the railroads.
You do realize that those trucks deliver goods that you consume? A tax would just be passed along to you in the form of higher prices on those goods. Simple economics.
Sounds like someone has big truck envy! Those trucks and the companies that put them out on the roads are taxed a pretty penny! As far as the damage caused by oilfield trucks on county roads, well, all I can say is – DRILL BABY DRILL!!!