Newsom vetoes high-speed rail oversight bill weeks after scathing audit of rail agency
The veto followed a report finding nearly $600,000 in unallowable consultant travel expenses and left the watchdog without new hiring and contracting powers.
- Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1608 on Wednesday, blocking legislation by Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson that would have granted the Office of Inspector General authority to hire staff and sign contracts under $1 million.
- The Office of Inspector General, created in 2022 to oversee the high-speed rail project, has never been fully staffed because it lacks independent authority to hire the expert personnel necessary for audits.
- Two weeks ago, auditors found the High-Speed Rail Authority approved nearly $600,000 in unallowable consultant travel expenses. Separately, contracting delays cost the Office an extra $1 million while purchasing complaint software.
- In his veto message Wednesday, Newsom urged the Office to work through existing processes, stating his administration has supported the Inspector General through "targeted actions" and prior administrative measures.
- Inspector General Ben Belnap expressed disappointment but plans to collaborate with the governor's staff to resolve operational hurdles. He vowed to "think outside the box" if those efforts prove insufficient.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Newsom vetoes rail oversight bill after watchdog’s scathing audit
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed legislation this week that would have strengthened oversight of the state’s troubled high-speed rail project. The decision comes less than a month after the project’s inspector general issued a scathing audit detailing hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable spending by rail consultants. The timing puts renewed scrutiny on […]
Cal Matters
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail oversight bill weeks after scathing audit of rail agency
The measure would have allowed the Office of the Inspector General that oversees the high-speed rail authority to hire more highly trained workers for audits and investigations.
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail supervision bill after agency receives condemnatory audit
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail supervision bill after agency receives condemnatory audit Zachary Whalen Sun, 10/04/2026 - 10:00 Primary Image Primary Image Caption In his veto message, Newsom told the inspector general’s office to “work with what it had,” Cal Matters summarized. He is pictured above at t a press conference regarding the California Jobs First project. California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill on Sept. 30 that would have increas…
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