Bill to Stop Peripheral Canal Killed In Committee

Supporters of AB 1594 are very disappointed that such a simple, straightforward bill, designed to stop Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's peripheral canal from being built without legislative oversight and a fiscal analysis, didn't receive a second motion from the Committee members.

Bill to Stop Peripheral Canal Killed In Committee

by Dan Bacher

A bill introduced by Assemblymember Alyson Huber to require a full legislative vote to approve any proposed peripheral canal around the California Delta was killed in its first policy hearing today for lack of a second motion to take a vote.

“Today, California lost the opportunity to ensure accountability and oversight of any proposed peripheral canal," said Huber. "The intention of AB 1594 was not to reopen the debate about last year’s water package, but to add a critical piece missing from the process - legislative oversight and a fiscal analysis of any conveyance proposal."

The bill, heard in Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife, was supported by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (Co-Author) Assemblymember Wes Chesbro (Co-Author) Assemblymember Paul Fong (Co-Author), Assemblymember Ted Gaines (Co-Author), Assemblymember Tom Torlakson (Co-Author) and Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (Co-Author).

“I appreciate the tremendous bipartisan support the bill has received from environmental, business and local government groups. I look forward to continuing the fight for the Delta as the water plan moves ahead.”

The broad coalition that supported the Bill included Restore the Delta, Delta Counties Coalition, Sierra Club, Stockton Chamber of Commerce, Hispanics for Political Action, North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, Lodi Chamber of Commerce, Reclamation District 999, California Delta Chambers & Visitor’s Bureau, Stockton East Water District, Planning and Conservation League, Save the Delta, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, South Delta Water Agency, Central Delta Water Agency, San Joaquin Board of Supervisors, Amador County Democratic Central Committee, Friends of the River, East Bay Regional Park, Campaign for Common Ground and El Dorado County Democratic Central Committee.

Supporters of AB 1594 are very disappointed that such a simple, straightforward bill, designed to stop Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's peripheral canal from being built without legislative oversight and a fiscal analysis, didn't receive a second motion from the Committee members.

Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), a co-author of AB 1594 who made the motion to vote on the bill, praised Huber for authoring the bill. She said was not surprised the bill failed to pass out of Committee, but was disturbed that it didn't receive a second motion.

“I commend Assemblymember Huber for her courage and competence in continuing her advocacy on this important issue," said Yamada. "As the only member of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee who represents the Delta Primary Zone, I am not surprised that this bill did not pass out of our policy committee. However, without the bill even being given the courtesy of a ‘second’ motion, the committee did not have to go on record with a yes-or-no vote."

She also criticized Legislative critics of AB 1594 for continuing to leave the voices of Delta residents "on the sidelines."

“Today’s critics testified that AB 1594 would re-open last year’s difficult and painful water negotiations," said Yamada. "The bill would have simply provided transparency and accountability to those residents who will be most affected by the changes to the Delta. Without a single Delta legislator as an author of any part of the five-bill policy and bond package, there is little confidence in the middle-of-the-night water deals now chaptered into law. This bill would have allowed Delta residents to use the legislative process as a means to express their concerns about a peripheral canal. Without that, their voices continue to be left on the sidelines.””

For more information, visit http://www.asm.ca.gov/huber.