TALLAHASSEE – Senate Democratic Leader Pro Tempore Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa) and Senator Thad Altman (R-Melbourne) filed a petition with the Supreme Court to green light high speed rail in Florida and put thousands of Floridians back to work.
The bi-partisan lawsuit comes in response to Republican Governor Rick Scott’s abrupt decision last month to reject billions in Florida tax dollars returned by the federal government to finance the Tampa to Orlando rail project.
Governor Scott is named as the defendant in the case.
“The issue at hand is the ability to create a state of the art rail line, at no cost to the taxpayers, and put people to work now and in the future,” Sen. Joyner said:
Stopping this project not only went against everything the governor promised during his campaign, it goes against his constitutional authority as well. The money Florida tax payers sent to Washington should return to benefit Florida. Unfortunately, litigation was the only way to make that happen.
Senator Altman said:
This issue is one of great constitutional significance. Our founding fathers created a system of three separate and co-equal branches of government. Clearly the governor’s actions have exceeded his constitutional authority. To maintain the integrity of our democracy, it is incumbent that we assert the rights of the people who elect their representatives. And the Supreme Court is the proper venue to seek relief.
The Orlando to Tampa connection is expected to create more than 24,000 jobs and eventually link into other rail lines throughout south Florida.
In the planning stages for more than a decade, the project was suddenly threatened by Governor Scott’s sudden decision to reject $2.4 billion in federal funding, and with that, a commitment from the private sector to provide the remaining financing.
In their lawsuit, the Senators “request that this Court grant this Petition and order the Respondent to expeditiously accept the funds and apply such funds appropriated by Congress and the Florida Legislature for the Florida High Speed Rail Project.”
The lawmakers also asked that the Court “if it deems it necessary or appropriate [to]…enter a preliminary injunction while the Court fully considers these matters.”
source: http://capitalsoup.com/2011/03/01/senators-arthenia-joyner-and-thad-altman-petition-supreme-court-for-ruling-on-high-speed-rail/
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