By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Democrat Governor and Republican legislators are engaged in an escalating political battle over the future of the state’s groundwater.
Last week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs took aim at a Republican-led solution to the state’s groundwater supply. Speaking at a conference in Tucson, Hobbs said, “I’m willing to work with any sponsors to pass legislation that’s real, effective and protects water supplies in rural areas. But should the bill remain unchanged it will not get my signature. The bill will silence rural communities and create a convoluted process that will make it nearly impossible for our communities to manage groundwater. It leaves us with the status quo where out of state corporate farmers come from around the world to take advantage of our aquifers, and small communities have their water pumped from beneath them. This is beyond unacceptable.”
The bill Hobbs attacked was SB 1221, which is sponsored by Senator Sine Kerr. The proposal would “establish a process for the designation of a basin management area (BMA) and an active BMA in any location not included in an active management area (AMA), to be initiated by petition to the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, [and] outlines the goals of an active BMA, active BMA council makeup, rights to water, reporting requirements, and requirements for the continuation or termination of an active BMA” – according to the purpose provided by the Senate.
Senator Kerr responded to the Governor’s remarks, writing, “From the start, I’ve been proactive in spearheading meetings for collaboration from the Governor and her office on SB 1221, which would safeguard Arizona’s groundwater resources for generations to come. My goal has and will continue to be to reach a compromise on a solution that won’t hurt rural Arizonans’ livelihoods, their local economies, or their groundwater supply. Yet this week, Hobbs said she would veto the bill and recklessly called it a convoluted process that won’t protect our groundwater. That comment is merely a red herring meant to justify her proposal of big government overreach to regulate groundwater.”
At the conference, Governor Hobbs expressed an interest in working across the aisle to reach a compromise on the vital issue for her state. She said, “We in the state have many shared values: the desire to protect rural Arizona, protect rural water users and slow unmitigated depletion of our rural aquifers. We can and must find common ground to find a solution that works and puts politics aside.”
Kerr, who is the Senate’s Majority Whip and the Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, clearly did not think that a Hobbs-endorsed proposal would meet the expectations or needs of her constituents and other stakeholders around the state. She added, “Energy and Water Rural Arizonans know what will and won’t benefit their local economies. I wholeheartedly support this proposal because I’ve listened and met with farmers, ranchers, and every other person, industry and organization across AZ who felt they were being alienated from the conversation. I believe in true collaboration, and will continue to work to reach a solution.”
This week, the Arizona House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water considered the legislation and gave the bill its stamp of approval with a 6-4 party-line vote. Republican State Representative Austin Smith said, “The government picking winners and losers is bad policy. Rural Arizona in my district and across the state are facing the brunt of Hobbs draconian water restrictions. SB 1221 provides the tools necessary for everyone to be treated fairly. Thank you Senator Sine Kerr.”
House Democrats on the committee echoed the governor’s thinking on the featured bill before their panel, calling for another bipartisan piece of legislation to address their collective concerns.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
