To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 861 without my signature. Two years ago, I vetoed a substantially similar bill. I commend the efforts of the North Coast Railroad Authority over the last two years to clean up the environmental hazards along the rail line and bring closer the reality of the railroad actually performing again. However, these accomplishments do not change the reasons why I vetoed the previous bill. Since the Authority will not receive any less money of the $60 million in state Traffic Relief Plan funds they originally expected, the $5.5 million savings should revert back to the Transportation Investment Fund so that it can be allocated by the California Transportation Commission to other projects within the Transportation Congestion Relief Program.

Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger