One of the veto-proof majority of Florida state senators who signed a letter last week suggesting the state could accept federal high speed rail without Gov. Rick Scott, rescinded his signature Monday.
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, said he regretted signing the letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week that suggested that two statewide rail panels set up by the Legislature could accept the $2.4 billion Scott rejected last week.
But Monday, he essentially said, ‘Never mind.’
“As a representative of the people of Florida Senate District 2, I do hereby remove my signature on the letter you received on Thursday, February 17, 2011, regarding funding for High Speed Rail,” Evers wrote to LaHood. “Let me be very clear. I do not want to spend one dime on High Speed Rail and I absolutely support Governor Scott sending the money back. I regret signing the letter as I believe it misconstrued my position on High Speed Rail. I was trying to send a message to Governor Scott to bring to the forefront my firm belief that we should not fund any rail projects with state or federal money.”
Evers also wrote a letter to Gov. Rick Scott asking that he also put the brakes on a separate proposal commuter train in Orlando, SunRail.
Without Evers on board, lawmakers in the Florida Senate lose the implied possibility of overriding a veto of any rail legislation they pass.
The News Service of Florida
