SACRAMENTO:Gov. Jerry Brown urged lawmakers to reach an agreement on how to pay for billions of dollars in needed road and highway repairs in California, without committing support for any current proposals.Brown’s administration says California faces a $59 billion backlog in infrastructure repairs over the next decade. He called a special session of the state Legislature to address it, but lawmakers have been slow to act.
Democrats are floating several possible tax increases to repair potholes and bridges, but Republican lawmakers whose votes would be needed have rejected the ideas.The Bay Area Council, which represents San Francisco Bay Area businesses, proposed a permanent extension of sales taxes included in temporary Proposition 30 taxes approved by voters, urging the state to dedicate the estimated $1.5 billion in annual revenue to transportation projects.
