February 21, 2017      8:26 PM

Updated: Rural lawmakers file nearly 20 bills pushing back on high speed rail

Chairman Cook: "If you're gonna do it, do it right"; Texas Central shoots back "it is ironic that the proposed legislation calls for more government regulation in trying to block a free market led project..."

Rural lawmakers gained momentum in their push against high speed rail on Tuesday, taking aim at the Texas Central Railway plan to build a connecting line between Dallas and Houston.

Several House and Senate legislators filed about 20 bills that, if passed, would effectively regulate and limit private entitles like Texas Central as they work to bring the high-speed system of travel to the state.

The bills would do things like prevent the use of state dollars for private high speed rail projects, restrict private entities from using eminent domain for such rails and prohibit private high speed rail companies from entering land to survey it – unless the company is deemed a railroad by TxDOT.

By Eleanor Dearman

Copyright February 21, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved