Advertisement California Republicans accuse Democrats of diverting road repair funds $15 million spending measure pulled after controversy Share Shares Copy Link Copy

California’s crumbling roads are supposed to get billions of dollars in repairs under Senate Bill 1. It raises taxes by 12 cents a gallon for gasoline and 20 cents a gallon more for diesel in order to fund road and bridge repairs across the state..Gov. Jerry Brown, who pushed for the bill to pass the Legislature two weeks ago, hasn’t even signed the $52 billion road repair bill. The bill was controversial before it passed. But, new discussions beginning in the Senate are raising concerns as some lawmakers look to allocate $15 million to non-transportation projects:$5 million for restroom repairs at state parks$5 million to improve access for communities without parks$5 million to acquire property for wildlifeState Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said he is dismayed by the proposal.“It is absolutely a diversion of funds,” Nielsen said. “And, it's a continued breach of trust of the Legislature to the citizens, who thought this money was going to go for all transportation.” But, Democrats deny any diversion of funds. “Those people who pay those funds will appreciate the fact that we’re putting money to fix the amenities in those area,” Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, said. “The roads in the parks are going to be where the money will be spent,” Democratic Sen. Jim Beall, the author of SB 1, said. “That’s my position -- not on other things. It should not be spent on non-transportation programs.” But Thursday at the Capitol, senate Democrats unexpectedly pulled the $15 million park spending measure. “That's not part of the bill that was before the Legislature last week," said H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the governor’s Department of Finance. "There are proposals on how to spend that money. The administration has not yet weighed in on those proposals.” Meanwhile, Republicans are accusing Brown of illegal vote trading after some lawmakers were promised millions of dollars in special project spending in their districts to help enlist their support for the gas tax. But, Brown said deal making is all part of the political process. “When somebody says, 'Here, here's $10,000, I want your vote,' you've got bribery. It's illegal,” Brown said. “When someone says, ‘You know, I think this bill will be better if you included these projects, these ideas or these rules,’ we listen because that's democracy.”Democrats plan to revisit the park spending proposal next month, after Brown's revised budget is released.