Florez praises signing of comprehensive water bill

SACRAMENTO – Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) joined Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders in celebrating the signing the most comprehensive water infrastructure package in the history of California.

California has been in the grips of what has been described as a man-made drought, with water deliveries stymied by political divisions and federal court decisions.  The gridlock has become more and more concerning as the state anticipates continued growth.  

Florez worked tirelessly through his efforts on the Water Conference Committee, Latino Caucus and Senate leadership team led by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg to pass a water bill that included above- and below-ground water storage, improved conveyance, and provisions for eco restoration and conservation.  He introduced Senate Bill 301 to achieve those goals.

“The people of the Central Valley – both farmers and farmworkers – have been among the hardest hot by the divisions that prevented the reliable flow of water,” Florez said.  “In some areas, unemployment has topped 40% as farmers have been forced to fallow fields they simply did not have the water to farm.  As our state continues to grow, it only becomes more critical that we put in motion now the improvements that will be needed to support our anticipated population in the not-so-distant future, both in the Valley and urban centers, and to maintain our position as a worldwide leader in agriculture.” 

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