NE Valley Times

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Significant water legislation, SB 1432, is now on the way to Governor Katie Hobbs’ desk after passing out of both chambers this week with the bipartisan supermajority necessary for immediate effect, if signed by her. State Representative Alexander Kolodin’s bill, HB 2561, was amended onto SB 1432 on June 12, ensuring that months of legislative effort and negotiations to restore water service to the Rio Verde Foothills is preserved and is now just a signature away from becoming law.

If signed, Rio Verde residents will once again have access to water service until EPCOR can obtain legal authorization to serve the community on a more permanent basis. It follows a year of failed attempts to resolve the issue by subordinate government bodies, none of which could agree on a solution.

Representative Kolodin released the following statement regarding the bill, thanking his colleagues who assisted with this arduous effort:

“It took a team effort by an unlikely coalition to defeat the establishment’s army of lobbyists and solve what should have been a simple problem. A few people deserve special mention. My seatmate, John Kavanagh, put in yeoman’s work shepherding this legislation through the Senate. Senator Wadsack worked with us to integrate our bill with her own significant water reform legislation. She and my other colleagues in the Arizona Freedom Caucus withstood tremendous pressure to stand firm and help me to complete the people’s work. I also want to thank Representative Cook for his consistent efforts to help the people of Rio Verde as well as Representative Terech, the chief negotiator for the Democrats, for her months of effort to arrive at a bipartisan solution to a problem that no other part of government has been able or willing to resolve. This is not the first water crisis Arizona has faced and it will not be the last. But, today (June 13), we proved that the era of kicking the can down the road is over. This legislature is ready, willing, and able to roll up its sleeves and solve the problem – together.

“We should not have had to fight so hard just to get Arizonans water but our work is now complete thanks to the efforts of these and countless others. Katie Hobbs should immediately sign this bill and restore water to the people. Rio Verde Foothills – we applaud your fight and community spirit! Hold on tight, relief is on the way!”

Alexander Kolodin is an attorney and Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 3, which includes North Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Rio Verde in Maricopa County. Follow him on Twitter at @Alex4Arizona & @realAlexKolodin.

Original source can be found here.