I just got off the phone with state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, who told me that SB 313, the bill that would authorize MARTA to pursue a massive $8 billion expansion up through north Fulton County and east to Emory University, failed to make the Senate Rules Committee calendar and won't receive a Crossover Day vote on Monday.
"It's dead," said a clearly shaken Beach. "I put a lot of effort in that."
We're still trying to pin exactly why it wasn't the green light, but one factor may have been brought to light on Wednesday, by House Speaker pro tem Jan Jones, R-Milton, in an interview on GPB's "The Lawmakers."
While Beach was the author, Jones said she was concerned that six GOP senators whose districts touch the north Fulton region were against it.
Coalition to Advance Atlanta President Nick Juliano issued the following statement:
"Our residents deserve a vote, and our coalition will be spending the coming months continuing to build grassroots support for expanding transit and making metro Atlanta the best place it can be to live, work, and play."
