ALERT: TX Senate hearing Tuesday re high speed rail
March 28th, 2016
March 28, 2016 - TRA Newswire
On Tuesday, March 29th, at 9:00am, in the Senate Chamber, the Texas Senate Affair Committee will be holding a Public Hearing regarding eminent domain and rights of property owners. The interim charge the Committee will be considering is as follows:
Gather and review data on the compensation provided to private property owners for property purchased or taken by entities with eminent domain authority. Examine the variance, if any, between the offers and the fair market values of properties taken through eminent domain. Make recommendations to ensure property owners are fairly compensated.
Public testimony will be limited to 2 minutes. If submitting written testimony, please provide 20 copies to the Committee Clerk.
The Chair of the State Affairs Committee is Joan Huffman.
At issue will be whether the Legislature will grant eminent domain authority to Texas Central for their high speed rail in the same way other public utilites and railroads currently have and to make sure that if eminent domain is exercised, that property owners rights will be protected to assure they are fairly compensated. Pro rail organizations like ourselves have no quarrel with assuring property owners are fairly compensated. But we want to make sure that operators of high speed rail will have the opportunity to provide Texans a modern transportation system like Texas Central has proposed.
We invite you to attend if you are available on Tuesday morning at 9am, to express your support for high speed rail in Texas. All are welcome to attend this Public Hearing as well as to give testimony if you so choose.
The organization Texans Against High Speed Rail announced on their Facebook page that they have organized a number of rural elected officials to testify in opposition to Texas Central proceeding with their high speed rail project.
If you have questions, please contact John Radovich who is on the Board of Texas Rail Advocates, at john@dalt.us or at 214-426-4100.
Our next TRA Board Meeting is Wednesday, April 6th at 6:30pm at the Center for Non-Profit Management near downtown Dallas (2900 Live Oak St., Dallas, TX 75204). The meetings are open and everyone is invited.
Here are some current news articles now posted to the Texas Rail Advocates website.
Lone Star Rail survives 'Kill Shot' but put under Microscope
Texas Pacifico South Orient Railroad's Newsest Customer Opens Operation at Big Lake
BNSF: Announces $210 Million Texas Capex Plans Inlcude San Antonio Yard
FRA Requests Proposals for High Speed Rail Projects - But there's a Catch, of course
Surpassing Rail Industry Averages - KCS Stock Could Reach $98 a Share in a year
Dallas Morning News: High-Speed Rail Opponents are Short Sighted
On Tuesday, March 29th, at 9:00am, in the Senate Chamber, the Texas Senate Affair Committee will be holding a Public Hearing regarding eminent domain and rights of property owners. The interim charge the Committee will be considering is as follows:
Gather and review data on the compensation provided to private property owners for property purchased or taken by entities with eminent domain authority. Examine the variance, if any, between the offers and the fair market values of properties taken through eminent domain. Make recommendations to ensure property owners are fairly compensated.
Public testimony will be limited to 2 minutes. If submitting written testimony, please provide 20 copies to the Committee Clerk.
The Chair of the State Affairs Committee is Joan Huffman.
At issue will be whether the Legislature will grant eminent domain authority to Texas Central for their high speed rail in the same way other public utilites and railroads currently have and to make sure that if eminent domain is exercised, that property owners rights will be protected to assure they are fairly compensated. Pro rail organizations like ourselves have no quarrel with assuring property owners are fairly compensated. But we want to make sure that operators of high speed rail will have the opportunity to provide Texans a modern transportation system like Texas Central has proposed.
We invite you to attend if you are available on Tuesday morning at 9am, to express your support for high speed rail in Texas. All are welcome to attend this Public Hearing as well as to give testimony if you so choose.
The organization Texans Against High Speed Rail announced on their Facebook page that they have organized a number of rural elected officials to testify in opposition to Texas Central proceeding with their high speed rail project.
If you have questions, please contact John Radovich who is on the Board of Texas Rail Advocates, at john@dalt.us or at 214-426-4100.
Our next TRA Board Meeting is Wednesday, April 6th at 6:30pm at the Center for Non-Profit Management near downtown Dallas (2900 Live Oak St., Dallas, TX 75204). The meetings are open and everyone is invited.
Here are some current news articles now posted to the Texas Rail Advocates website.
Lone Star Rail survives 'Kill Shot' but put under Microscope
Texas Pacifico South Orient Railroad's Newsest Customer Opens Operation at Big Lake
BNSF: Announces $210 Million Texas Capex Plans Inlcude San Antonio Yard
FRA Requests Proposals for High Speed Rail Projects - But there's a Catch, of course
Surpassing Rail Industry Averages - KCS Stock Could Reach $98 a Share in a year
Dallas Morning News: High-Speed Rail Opponents are Short Sighted