Capitol Insiders' Twitter fees lit up at around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, leading some of us to question who was up too late, and who was up too early. Turns out the Assembly decided to burn the midnight oil and bang out the water deal once and for all. Now at an $11 billion bond, and with the Coastal Commission-esque oversight panel for the Delta, the package is now on its way to the Governor, and the voters.
Some other key points: Democratic lawmakers dropped an enforcement measure that would have imposed stiffer fines on water thieves. This was seen as a big win for Republican lawmakers, while they agreed to add another $1 billion to the bond measure.
As for a canal? Met Water District in SoCal says the package "paves the way" for such a project. As any long time watcher of this issue will know, however, there's still a ways to go before that golden shovel breaks earth. In the near term, look for mandatory conservation measures across the state, coupled with regional projects and new Delta levies.
Read more in the Cap Weekly.
Comments