Paulsen doesn’t expect high-speed rail funds in budget

Even with appeals from the federal level to fund a high-speed passenger rail in Iowa, state Republican leaders remained skeptical of using state funds to contribute to the railroad.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said earlier this week that $268 million were being earmarked to continually develop high-speed railroad in the Midwest, though none of that money is being allocated toward a possible train route between Chicago and Iowa City. A federal $230 million was earmarked for that specific project in 2010.

The Iowa City-to-Chicago investment may not be suitable to budget, Speaker of the Iowa House Kraig Paulsen, of Hiawatha, said.

“I think if that’s a good idea and someone wants to do it, then they should invest in it and do it,” Paulsen said. “We’re talking about — I don’t have the numbers because I haven’t looked at it in awhile — but at least tens of millions of dollars to cover 57 miles from Iowa City to the Quad Cities. It just doesn’t make sense to me. And then you have an on-going expenditure year after year after year of several million dollars.”

Simply put, Paulsen added: “I don’t expect [the passenger rail] to be added into the budget bills.”

The continually developed rail would go through five Midwest states, including Iowa, although Iowa would have a half-mile of track within the length of the rail path.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) sent a letter to Gov. Terry Branstad and Legislative leaders earlier this week, urging an investment of state dollars on the passenger train line between Iowa City and Chicago. Braley noted that the investment would result in 900 new jobs in Iowa during the construction phase, and an increase in business activity along the rail route.

In response to Paulsen, Braley, of Waterloo, posted a statement on his official website Thursday:

This project has already received $230 million from the federal government, and now the state has an opportunity for a significant return on investment. If there is a better plan for creating Iowa jobs, we haven’t seen it. Instead of putting Iowans back to work, they are locked in a partisan battle that does little good for our state’s economy.