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Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Senate passes some pieces of legislation; more legislation to be considered today

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 3, 2009 at 9:05 am

sacto-capitolThe Assembly & Senate will be meeting again this morning to continue working on water legislation – see post below. From the Los Angeles Times:

“After weeks of negotiations, the state Senate started voting on a broad water package Monday night, passing three measures before adjourning shortly after midnight.

The Senate plans to take up the remaining two parts of the package today, when the Assembly will consider all the proposals.

The Senate approved a $10-billion bond measure that would pay for new infrastructure, ecosystem restoration in the San Joaquin- Sacramento Delta, water supply improvements and watershed protections around the state.

It also passed a conservation target requiring a statewide reduction in per capita urban water use, as well as a bill creating a new state council to oversee the delta, the heart of the state waterworks. …”

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:

” … Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, however, fell short of marshaling enough votes support for two other bills: one that called for the first statewide groundwater monitoring program and another that seeks to impose higher fines on water thieves.

Holdout Democrats had sought to toughen the bills, but they were rebuffed because of the elaborately constructed compromises linking the bills. Small changes in any of the bills, lawmakers and aides say, could disrupt the unlikely coalition of water districts, farm interests, environmentalists — even Democrats and Republicans, key to delivering a final reform effort.

Both of those will now be reconsidered today while Senate leaders line up support. All of the bills, except for the bond bill, must be approved or none will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for approval.

If the Senate had passed the entire package, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, said early this morning, the Assembly would have stayed until the wee hours to vote on them.

“We would have been here,” she said. But “I don’t think anyone’s votes are going to change” before the Assembly reconvenes this morning.

That may or may not augur well for the fate of the reform package. …”

Read more from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.

From the Sacramento Bee:

” … State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said that “a long history of benign neglect has not served the Delta or the state well … what should be an east-west estuary is being used as a north-south plumbing system.”

Both Simitian and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, warned that if the council was not created the Schwarzenegger administration would go ahead with plans to build a canal through the Delta. They also said that a canal through the Delta was only one of several options the council could consider.

But Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who represents much of the Delta area, charged the bill was a thinly disguised attempt to build a Delta canal, which she called “the equivalent of a 100-lane freeway” through the area.

“This makes it clear you intend to take the building of a peripheral canal out of the hands of the public,” she said. …”

Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

” … Throughout Monday, officials from San Diego County urged the Legislature to act swiftly. They’re convinced the bill offers the most promise of providing money for programs that could create a more stable supply of water, particularly as prolonged drought and court-ordered environmental restrictions limit inventory and drive up rates.

The top priorities include restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a vital yet crumbling estuary that provides about a third of San Diego County’s water supply, and a directive that would help clear the way for construction of a distribution canal from Northern to Southern California.

“We hope the Legislature seizes this vital opportunity to address the state’s long-term water needs while also protecting the ecological health of the delta,” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said.

“At this point, doing nothing simply isn’t an option,” he added. “A more reliable water supply is vital to the long-term economic health of the San Diego region and the peace of mind of its residents.” …”

Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.

From Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:

” … The water package has two main pieces. One group of bills deals with issues such as conservation and improving the tattered delta, through which much of Inland Southern California’s water supply flows.

The other part is a November 2010 bond measure to pay for delta improvements, new dams and other projects. The bond approved by the Senate — including all Inland lawmakers — could change as it goes through the Assembly, where its prospects are much less certain.

The day divided legislative caucuses along ideological and geographic lines. The legislation also split Inland water districts and other agencies.

Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County and the Inland Empire Utility Agency in San Bernardino County are on record supporting the bills, as is the Western Riverside Council of Governments.

But Riverside County’s Western Municipal Water District and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District have not signed on.

John Rossi, Western Municipal’s general manager, said he and other district officials continue to worry about parts of the legislation, such as a provision requiring a 20 percent reduction in water use by 2020. …”

Read more from the Press-Enterprise by clicking here.

From MyDesert.com:

” … Anticipating a drawn-out session, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rescheduled his appearance tonight on “The Jay Leno Show” to complete the water deal, said spokesman Aaron McLear.

The delta’s future is tied to the reliability of the State Water Project, which could ultimately impact the water supply for the Coachella Valley.

The proposals up for discussion in Sacramento also could set new standards for conservation — 20 percent by 2020 statewide — requiring everyone to be more water-wise, though by how much would vary by region.

“If the state falls on its face here and does nothing, the reliability of the State Water Project is going to be highly, highly in question,” said Steve Robbins, general manager-chief engineer of the Coachella Valley Water District.

“You need to be able to store the water and you have to be able to move that water. If we don’t do that and start working on these problems, the economy of the entire state is going to suffer.” …”

Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

November 3, 2009 · Filed Under Water Legislation

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