The KHTS AM-1220 Sacramento road trip offered discussion about the high speed rail, crime and budget to a Santa Clarita Valley delegation.

High Speed Rail

Jeff Morales of the High Speed Rail Authority and Kevin Dayton, Citizens for High Speed Rail Accountability offered contrasting perspectives and priorities in transportation

Morales touted the economic advantages to building the rail and linking the state, which is the world’s eighth largest economy.

Jerry McCarty of the local machining firm SMTCL shares his concerns with Rob Lapseley of the California Business Roundtable. Photos: KHTS.

“California history has been made by big bold investments” Morales said. “California’s economy did not become the eighth largest population in the world by not taking risk.”

Morales talked about how the 800-mile train system would be a “game changer,” with benefits like a 15-minute trip from Palmdale to Burbank.

In 50 years, California residents are going to say, “We can’t believe this is controversial,” Morales said.

Dayton said people will still be trying to figure out how to pay for it in 50 years, adding the plan moving forward is not what was on the ballot for voters seven years ago..

“What we have now proceeding,” Dayton said, “is not what the voters approved in 2008,” Dayton said.

Education

Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, a freshman assemblyman, former teacher and former councilman who chairs the Education Committee, addressed the Santa Clarita Valley group to discuss what legislators are working on in education.

“California is still 48th in the nation in per pupil funding for our students” O’Donnell said, adding “we need another school bond.”

Citing the need in a statewide list of needed but unfunded school projects, O’Donnell said, the situation has gotten better but there’s still a long way to go.

Local school officials shared about how the governor’s funding formula created “winner” and “loser” districts, and by and large Santa Clarita Valley schools considered themselves in the latter category.

“We’re just now starting to see some sort of recovery,” said Saugus Union School District Superintendent Joan Lucid. “And it’s been very difficult.”

Lucid also asked if the state would reconsider evaluating the ADA as far as not punishing schools financially for daily absences.

Schools are forced to audit and track information on absences, and the schools are not reimbursed for students who are not in class, but the operation costs change little for the school districts, Lucid said.

The idea was to incentivize schools to reduce absences, O’Donnell said.

Crime, and Proposition 47

Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R- Palmdale, discussed Proposition 47 and three amendments being proposed.

The first, which Lackey authored, would seek to reclassify Rohypnol and other date-rape drugs.

Sen. Jerry Hill discusses environmental laws.

“The recent passage of Proposition 47 reclassified many ‘non-serious and non-violent property and drug crimes’ from a felony to a misdemeanor,” according to a news release from Lacey’s office. “Proposition 47 made possession of a ‘date rape’ drug a misdemeanor instead of a felony, despite the fact these drugs are frequently used as tools for sexual assault.”

Another bill would allow the collection of DNA evidence from those convicted of crimes that used to be felonies that were reduced to misdemeanors. The law does not mandate the collection of DNA and blood samples for those convicted of misdemeanors.

The third would restrict the ability of those convicted of a drug-related charge to register for a handgun.

Lackey said he anticipated a battle in the Legislature on the amendments, despite the support of the law enforcement community.

“The preliminary feedback that I’m getting is,” Lackey said, “we’re in  for a big fight.”