Overview
- AB 1608 would allow the rail inspector general to withhold records deemed to reveal exploitable weaknesses and to keep the personal papers and correspondence of cooperating sources confidential upon written request.
- The governor’s administration has submitted a nearly identical budget trailer bill at the inspector general’s request, a fast-track vehicle that typically faces limited public review and takes effect with the July budget.
- The Department of Finance says the plan would let the office share sensitive findings securely, require public reports with limited exceptions, and establish clear rules for protecting workpapers and communications.
- Press-freedom groups and some lawmakers oppose the breadth of the language, arguing it could obscure important information about a project with soaring costs and long delays.
- AB 1608 could get its first hearing on Feb. 20, and Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday he did not know about the proposal when asked as his administration advanced the trailer bill.