Gov. Jerry Brown pushes for scaled-down, $6-billion water bond [Los Angeles Times]
Gov.
Jerry Brown told legislative leaders Tuesday that he wants a $6-billion water
bond to be put before voters in November — a substantially lower price tag than
proposals making their way through the Legislature. Brown also made clear that
he has concerns about the $11.1-billion bond now set to go before voters in the
fall, according to legislative sources familiar with the conversations. That
bond, originally written in 2009, would direct $3 billion for storage projects.
But opposition from Brown could seriously harm its prospects if it remained on
the ballot. According to the sources, Brown indicated that he would want
one-third of the bond — $2 billion — for water storage. Republicans and Central
Valley Democrats had wanted at least $3 billion for storage projects such as
dams and reservoirs, which are a top priority for agriculture interests.
Wolk
blasts opposition for non action on water bill [Vacaville Reporter]
A
day after failing to secure Republican support for her bill to overhaul the
$11.1 billion water bond on November's ballot, Senator Lois Wolk, D-Solano, and
fellow Democrats blasted opposition demands that the measure include more
funding to enable construction of twin tunnels underneath the Delta to divert
water south and vowed that the battle is not over. SB848 by Wolk fell short of
the required two-thirds majority vote needed to pass. "Yesterday's vote
was a missed opportunity," Wolk said in a press release on Tuesday.
"It was especially disappointing to see my Republican colleagues from
Northern California tie their horses to the Delta Tunnels and support the
current bond written in 2009 rather than the tunnel neutral approach in SB 848
that was before them."
Agriculture
well permit applications spiking, likely due to drought [Davis Enterprise]
With
the drought well into its third year, farmers are turning to groundwater to
keep their crops green. Applications to install or replace agricultural wells
spiked this year, doubling from last year. Residential applications rose
slightly, having dropped steadily since the 2004-2006 housing boom….With no
surface water allocations from the Yolo County Flood Control District and
limited supplies coming from elsewhere, farmers are turning to the land’s
liquid gold reserves….Now, farmers requesting wells face wait times of up to a
year. And there is no data on how many of the applications actually result in
completed projects.
California
Assembly Committee passes groundwater rules bill [Capital Public Radio]
Backers
of the bill say years of ground water over-pumping has led to wells drying up
around the state and has also depleted surface water supplies….Danny Merkley
with the California Farm Bureau Federation says the state should take time to
think through its groundwater management plan even in a time of drought. “We
need to work through this and keep working through this regardless of arbitrary
deadlines,” says Merkley.
Immigrants
want more bend in driver license rules [Associated Press]
As
California prepares to issue driver's licenses to immigrants in the country
illegally, residents sounded off Tuesday on what documents should be accepted
as proof of identity and residency in the state. At a packed hearing in Los
Angeles, scores of immigrants urged the Department of Motor Vehicles to expand
the list of acceptable documents to include church and children's school
records, which may be easier for some people to obtain. "As a homemaker, we
don't get a membership card or a pay stub," said Martha Escandon, 42,
whose Mexican immigrant family obtained legal papers in the 1980s. Escandon
said she volunteers at her South Los Angeles church and knows many mothers who
could face a hard time obtaining proof of residency to apply for a license.
Ag
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