Steven Greenhut on California's Upcoming Rail Project Trial
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A California appeals court rejected a motion by the California High Speed Rail Authority to overturn a decision that slows its $68-billion rail plan. The ruling has set the stage for something state officials have long been dreading: a trial about whether the current rail project complies with the legal promises in the initiative that created it. Steven Greenhut asks if the specific, legal language in a voter-approved initiative is a binding law or a mere suggestion? If the courts agree with the latter, then the legislature and state agencies will have much more latitude to use taxpayer funds than previously envisioned.