HB 26-09: Expansion of High Speed Rail and Mass Transit Act (Tabled)

[Tamika Jackson]

Mr. Speaker,

I move to amend by adding the following Clause to Section III:

iii. A high speed railway shall be constructed from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO. The railway must include access stations in Bloomington, IL and Springfield, IL.

I yield.

[Tamika Jackson]

Aye - As the gentlelady of Mississippi said, why not more rail routes?

[Tamika Jackson]

Mr. Speaker,

I'd like to insert this into the record: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2019/11/19/amtrak-reports-record-ridership-on-chicago-st.html

I yield.

[Tamika Jackson]

Mr. Speaker,

I rise to offer an amendment to the gentlelady of Mississippi's amendment as follows:

A high speed railway shall be constructed from Virginia beach VA to Phoenix, Az. The railway must include access to stations in Richmond, Va, Staunton, VA, Roanoke, VA, Knoxville, TN, Nashville Tenn, Jackson, TN, Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Texarkana, AR, Shreveport, LA, Nacogdoches, TX, Houston Tx, Austin, TX, and El paso, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and Tucson, AZ.

I yield.

[Tamika Jackson]

Amendment is hostile

Very hostile. Madison County has less than 100k population. There is no need for HSR in Jackson, TN. We need to build an efficient transportation grid, not a pork barrel boondoggle.

Mr. Speaker,

I think the people of Jackson, TN take offense by the gentleman of California's arbitrary determination about which towns deserve high speed rail and which don't.

Rural areas need transportation too. A station in Jackson, TN would also serve the surrounding rural areas, helping to cut down on traffic and provide a cheaper way to travel to larger cities and across the country.

In 2011, the Jackson-Humboldt Combined Statistical Area showed a population of over 165,000 citizens.

While that may not be the millions that the gentleman of California expects, rural areas don't have sprawling international airports nor do they receive air service by airlines to a variety of destinations like larger cities.

High speed rail would bring more travel options to rural areas. The rail is going to end up going near Jackson, TN anyways. Why not build a station there?

I yield.

[Tamika Jackson]

Aye

[Tamika Jackson]

Mr. Speaker,

I rise to offer the previous amendment as follows:

A high speed railway shall be constructed from Virginia beach VA to Phoenix, Az. The railway must include access to stations in Richmond, Va, Staunton, VA, Roanoke, VA, Knoxville, TN, Nashville Tenn, Jackson, TN, Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Texarkana, AR, Shreveport, LA, Nacogdoches, TX, Houston Tx, Austin, TX, and El paso, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and Tucson, AZ.

I yield.

[Tamika Jackson]

Aye