Legislators tack on bill riders for train
Additional $7.6 million request would fund operation for 2 years
BY TERRIE GONZALEZ

Identical riders have been attached to finance and appropriation bills in the Texas Senate and the House of Representatives to fund the Texas State Railroad as a state park for the next biennium.

The $7.6 million request would be added to the $2.2 million that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department already has in its budget to convert the railroad to a static exhibit, making the total request $9.8 million for the biennium.

The funding requests were made by state Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) and state Rep. Chuck Hopson (D-Jacksonville), who are outspoken advocates to keep the Texas State Railroad operational.

Currently, funding will be exhausted by Aug. 31, 2007, unless the Legislature makes new money available during the current session.

Sen. Nichols submitted a second $7.6 million rider with a caveat. If the bill to privatize the railroad is approved, then the $7.6 million rider will be used to transition the steam locomotive to a private operator.

"This keeps all our options open," Sen. Nichols told the Cherokeean Herald Monday morning from his office in the State Capitol. "This is what I said I would do from the beginning."

As a member of the House Appropriations committee, where all state budget bills originate, Rep. Hopson made his "article 11" request for the $7.6 million appropriation to keep the train under TPWD management.

"What this does is keep the train running for the next two years," he said.

Both Rep. Hopson and Sen. Nichols told the Cherokeean Herald that the mood is positive in the Legislature to restore some or all of the sporting goods tax to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

However, Rep. Hopson called the funding request for the tourist train an "uphill battle." "Parks (TPWD) doesn't even have the Texas State Railroad listed in their top 100 priorities," he said.

Sen. Nichols predicted that the senate side "will probably accept both of these requests." When a conference committee is appointed to work out differences between the Senate Finance bill and the House Appropriation bill, they will match them and see how much money is available.

The mood of Legislators in Austin appears to be one that will provide additional funding to the overall parks system.

"My gut feeling is that there will be a substantial amount of new money for TPWD," said Sen. Nichols. "They realize there hasn't been enough funding in the past."

But Rep. Hopson is afraid that the Texas State Railroad is not on the legislative radar screen. "There's not a lot of traction for either running it or privatizing it."

Timelines are difficult to predict, but he said that the Appropriations Committee will likely send the budget bill to the House floor today.

"Appropriations is running fast, faster than in the past," he said. "It feels like the second week of May instead of March."

Rep. Hopson said that the House will likely send the omnibus bill to the conference committee in mid-April.

Local reaction

News of the bill riders was greeted with optimism by many in East Texas.

Steve Presley, who serves as chairman of the Texas State Railroad Operating Agency, spoke with Sen. Nichols' office Tuesday morning about the bill riders and expressed pleasure with the options available for the continuation of the train.

"I'm very pleased that Sen. Nichols introduced a bill rider to provide funding for the Texas State Railroad Authority. I'm pleased that he recognized the economic benefit of a local public-private partnership.

"I'm also pleased that he has given an option if the local public-private partnership does not pass, that the funding can be used for continued state operation," Mr. Presley said. "No one in our group is against the state operating it. We just think it is a better opportunity for the local communities (if the railroad is privatized)."

Save Texas Parks, a non-profit organization which supports state operation and is opposed to privatization, also expressed optimism over the bill riders.

"We are very excited that legislation has been introduced by Sen. Nichols to the Senate Finance Committee and by Rep. Hopson to the House Appropriations Committee which would continue state funding and operation of the Texas State Railroad," said Dr. Michael Banks, president of Save Texas Parks. "We have said all along we have been following the leadership of these elected officials and this is a strong indication that the Texas State Railroad will continue to run as it has for the past 30 years. Our move against privatization of the railroad is becoming better understood. Privatization of the Texas State Railroad would not be a good option."

He applauded the dedication of the Texas State Railroad employees, who have clung to hope that their jobs would continue with TPWD.

"The battle to keep the Texas State Railroad is not over. We must exert our legislative pressure to have the proposed state funding for the railroad approved.

"At least it is out there now before the legislature and we can visualize it being passed to fund and save the railroad."