MWDOC Legislative Committee Approves Staff Recommendation to Support Language of Calvert Rider

For immediate release: June 19, 2018
Contact:

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053, barbara@restorethedelta.org

MWDOC Legislative Committee Approves Staff Recommendation to Support Language of Calvert Rider

Yesterday, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) Public Affairs and Legislation Committee approved staff’s recommendation to support the language of Congressman Ken Calvert’s rider that seeks to ban judicial review of the Delta tunnels (CA WaterFix) project. The MWDOC board of directors will consider staff’s recommendation to support the rider during a board vote tomorrow, June 20.

During yesterday’s meeting, committee members remained confident that the Interior spending bill would receive approval from the Senate, despite strong opposition from Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Kamala Harris. This sentiment was also expressed in the committee meeting materials which stated,

“Meanwhile, the Senate will present different obstacles and while the Senate may oppose this provision, as both California Senators have indicated their opposition, in the end the Senate is not likely to prevail against the House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, who is a big supporter of this provision” (Page 4 of the agenda packet).

Moreover, the committee also stated their support of another rider that was added to the Interior spending bill written by Representative David Valadao (R-Hanford) that would exempt the Central Valley Project and State Water Project from judicial review a well. MWDOC’s General Manager Robert Hunter indicated that Congressman Calvert, a close political advocate for MWDOC, would not have supported the Valado rider if it couldn’t pass.

Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said,

“The close working relationship between MWDOC and Congressman Ken Calvert, House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, and Hanford Congressman David Valadao is troubling.  At yesterday’s MWDOC committee meeting, it became clear that this political trio will continue to advocate their flawed vision for California water policy at the behest of MWDOC, despite our Senators’ and Californians’ opposition to the rider. Governor Brown’s silence emboldens them. Such arrogant backroom wheeling and dealing exemplify all that is wrong with California water management. These riders are a brazen attempt to subvert the rule of law as it relates to Governor Brown’s WaterFix tunnels.”

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