Representative Andy Biggs' (R-AZ) Colorado River Basin Water Security and Infrastructure Act continues to gain support in Arizona, with state officials backing the bill.
Initial Support
Rep. Biggs' bill, which includes provisions to reduce federal red tape on infrastructure projects along the Colorado River, especially in Arizona, was first endorsed by State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-3) last week.
"Congressman Biggs' bill rewards states that invest in their own water future, and Arizona is ready," said State Rep. Kolodin, further chastising Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) for having "spent four years managing scarcity instead of building supply. Her Colorado River talks stalled without a deal that enforces the Compact or that requires the Upper Basin to share in cuts."
Growing Backers
State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-14) lent his support to the bill, saying, "Arizona can't make it rain or snow, but we can take action to secure our water future. Arizona has known for years that shortages could put the Central Arizona Project at risk. Valuable time to develop alternative supplies has already been lost, and we cannot afford to lose any more. That's why we worked with Congressman Biggs to make sure Arizona's priorities helped shape this federal plan."
"Congressman Biggs has put forward a serious proposal that addresses the problem Arizona should have started preparing for years ago: we need more water," said Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-29), adding, "For too long, the discussion has centered on how to divide a declining supply. This legislation takes a better approach by removing unnecessary federal delays and putting real resources behind projects that can increase supply. Long-term water augmentation is the path forward."
Finally, State Senator T.J. Shope (R-16) stated, "Our job is to make sure Arizona families and businesses have reliable water without driving up costs. We cannot solve a water shortage by arguing over smaller and smaller shares of the river. We need to make the pie bigger, and this bill gives Arizona and the other Basin states practical ways to bring more water into the system."
