A long-term update to the California Water Plan received unanimous bipartisan support in the California Senate this session and may be brought back next year after more logistical aspects can be considered.
SB 366 is co-sponsored by the California Municipal Utilities Association, California Council for Environmental & Economic Balance, and the California State Association of Counties. More than 100 industry and agriculture organizations have registered their support.
The Assembly Analysis notes that the bill would codify strategies from the state's August 2022 water plan.
SB 366 was introduced by state Sen. Anna M. Caballero, D-Merced, and the announcement details the importance of long-range water supply targets while capturing and producing enough water for communities, agriculture, and the environment.
“By modernizing the California Water Plan for a 21st century climate, SB 366 ensures accountability for state agencies on water management issues," Caballero's office said in a press release in March.
Another bill, SB 659, authored by Sen. Angelique Ashby, D- Sacramento, requires the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to produce an action plan for groundwater recharge.
That bill was signed by the governor earlier this month, also receiving bipartisan support.
“Small businesses depend on a reliable, resilient, and plentiful water supply just like everybody else. And SB 366 sets long-term water supply targets that are, I think, realizable, and should the bill move next session, of course, NFIB will continue to support it.” Tim Taylor, California policy director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), told the Northern California Record.
“California is water-challenged, there's no doubt about it, and that's because of some climate issues and changing climate patterns, as well as some storage issues for sure,” Taylor said. “But I think everybody is on board, whether they be Democrat or Republican, when it comes to solving our water supply issues.”
Yet procedural issues may need fine-tuning.
“Certainly it's not the case that it's because people don't like the bill itself; it has bipartisan support, co-authors that are both Democrat and Republicans,” Taylor said. “So I think this is one of those bills that under normal circumstances, would go through without any ‘No’ votes.”
Bipartisanship does occur in California, usually on those broad issues in which there's not giant allocations of money that has sometimes differentiated the parties to some extent, Taylor said.
“But this bill highlights good policy, and both sides of the aisle understand we have a water issue, and I think everybody is looking for common-sense solutions to it. And this is certainly one of them," Taylor said.