Sen. Melissa Hurtado promotes SB 661 during a press conference at Meadows Field Airport, saying bill will bring many opportunities to Bakersfield and Kern County.
- Hurtado refers to SB 661 as a common sense bill that will be paid with existing taxes.
- Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh says Bakersfield is growing and SB 661 is needed for the airport to catch up to that growth.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Melissa Hurtado held a press conference at Meadows Field Airport because she said she wanted to focus on the good that SB 661 will bring. The bill is for financial assistance to airports, specifically Meadows Field. I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter. Hurtado referred to SB 661 as a common sense bill.
Hurtado tells me she knows California will have its budget deficits. She says that’s why SB 661 makes sense. She says the money will come from existing taxes. She adds the bill is expected to attract new airlines to Meadows Field and more commercial flights.
“You have to be able to kind of think outside the box. Just things that make sense. You don’t have to create an additional tax to try to support a new program. These are existing dollars. It’s just common sense for it to come back. There’s no reason why it should be going elsewhere,” Hurtado says.
Hurtado also talked about Kern County’s growth and people continuing to move to the area. Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh also referred to that. They both also talked about the importance of Meadows Field Airport when the Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028.
“Today we are celebrating the sound of something better. And, indeed this bill is the sound of something better. Bakersfield is growing fast. And this bill, SB 661, helps our airport keep up with that growth," Goh said.
Hurtado says SB 661 will bring jobs and make a positive economic impact on Bakersfield and Kern County. She added that times are tough, but the Central Valley can endure it.
“I don’t want to be status quo and stay and give up. We’re just not that kind of people in the Central Valley. We know that when times get tough, we come to our feet and then we get back up and we keep on fighting,” Hurtado says.
SB 661’s status is listed as “In Assembly. Held at Desk,” as of June 5.
“And this is just one part of the picture. This alone is not going to solve all the problems, but it’s going to provide so many opportunities for so many families if we can get this done,” Hurtado says.
Meadows Field is empty now, but perhaps soon it will be bustling. For 23 ABC, I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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