The approval was uncertain as recently as hours before the vote. With all 15 Republican senators opposed to the measure and several Democratic lawmakers wavering, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg scrambled to muster at least 21 of 25 Democratic votes.
Twenty-one Democratic senators voted ‘Yes.’
The approval was a major legislative victory for Gov. Jerry Brown. Steinberg said the Democratic governor “talked to a couple members” ahead of the vote, while Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, reminded colleagues that the project not only had Brown’s attention, but also that of President Barack Obama and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/07/california-senate-approves-funding-for-high-speed-rail.html#storylink=cpy
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