Opinion: Water-bill veto is missed opportunity
Governor Katie Hobbs’ recent veto of three Republican water bills, including the “Ag to Urban” bill, represents a significant setback for Arizona’s efforts to address its ongoing water crisis. … The “Ag to Urban” bill was a pragmatic approach to one of our state’s most pressing issues: water conservation. Arizona’s current water management laws inadvertently discourage transitioning land from agriculture to suburban use, despite the fact that agricultural practices are substantially more water-intensive than residential or municipal uses. This transition is essential for our state’s future, and the vetoed bill aimed to facilitate this shift by addressing the outdated and counterproductive incentives embedded in our water laws. … The Governor’s veto, therefore, is not just a rejection of a Republican bill, but a refusal to embrace a forward-thinking solution to Arizona’s water and housing crises.
— written by Alexander Kolodin, attorney and Republican member of the Arizona State House