Capital Budget impasse worthwhile

Kudos to the Democrats in the state Legislature for not caving in to the Republicans’ holding the Capital Budget hostage over their attempt to resolve the Hirst Supreme Court decision. Water law is very complicated in general. It is even more complicated as it applies to exempt wells in rural areas. This means the Republicans’ attempt to solve this issue would surely be challenged in court, again.

Water is a public resource and is governed by the state to help protect the public’s interest. The water law that pertains to surface water withdrawal was originally passed in 1917 and for groundwater withdrawal in 1945. Since then, there have been decades of court decisions that also apply. This makes water law very complex and any attempt to revise it difficult, at best.

The best option for success is the Democrats’ measured response of including more stakeholders working together. I’m very disappointed in the Republicans’ use of the Capital Budget to get their way. This is no way to govern our state. As Mark Twain said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” Let’s address this thorny water issue collaboratively and stop the fighting.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Capital Budget impasse worthwhile."