2015 Federal Outlook for the Colorado River Basin. Brian Moore, Legislative Director

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1 2015 Federal Outlook for the Colorado River Basin Brian Moore, Legislative Director

2 Changes in the Congress The 2014 Mid-term Elections Senate Several new Senators and changes in Senate committee leadership House of Representatives Republican Party increases majority 11 new Congresspeople from the Colorado River Basin Changes in important committee leadership

3 Audubon s Work in 2015 Changes in the Obama Administration New Deputy Secretary of Interior New Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Audubon s Agenda Continued focus on funding for key federal programs February release of the President s FY2016 Budget Requests Funding and legislative work in the Congress

4 Great Egret: Jenohn Wrieden 2014 Western Rivers Action Network WRAN State Policy Update Off and running in Arizona

5 Governor Doug Ducey Inauguration Silent on water-related issues Preserve Natural Lands (one of 10 Priorities) Key Policy Positions Still Open Budget-Taxes-Budget-Taxes-Budget-Taxes

6 Governor s State of the State January 12 Governor s Budget Release January 16

7 Ducey Avoided Some Issues in State of State Speech ENVIRONMENT Arizona and the West are in the midst of a relentless drought that could create water shortages on the Colorado River, shortages that would hit Arizona first. Meanwhile, state and federal officials continue to monitor a comprehensive plan to improve the health of the state s forests before another destructive wildlife erupts

8 Arizona Legislature Reconvened January 12 Estimated Adjournment April 25 Citizenship Curriculum Priority 1 Few Conservation or Waterrelated Bills to Date

9 Republican majority team has taken turn toward more conservative wing of party Almost entirely new slate of leaders

10 Senate Leadership President Andy Biggs (Gilbert) Majority Leader Steve Yarbrough (Chandler) Majority Whip Gail Griffin (Hereford) Minority Leader Katie Hobbs (Phoenix) Assistant Minority Leader Steve Farley (Tucson) Co-Minority Whips Lupe Contreras (Avondale), Martin Quezada (Phoenix)

11 HOUSE LEADERSHIP Speaker David Gowan (Sierra Vista) Majority Leader Steve Montenegro (Litchfield Park) Majority Whip David Livingston (Peoria) Minority Leader Eric Meyer (Paradise Valley) Assistant Minority Leader Bruce Wheeler (Tucson) Minority Whip Rebecca Rios (Phoenix)

12 New Committee Lineup Senate up to 16 Committees (compared to 12 in 2014) House Committees grew by one to 19

13 Resource-related Committees House Agriculture, Water and Lands (Brenda Barton/Darin Mitchell) Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (Frank Pratt/Rusty Bowers) Rural & Economic Development (T.J. Shope/Rusty Bowers) Appropriations (Justin Olson/Vince Leach) Senate Natural Resources (Steve Pierce/Don Shooter Rural Affairs & Environment (Sylvia Allen/Gail Griffin) Water & Energy (Gail Griffin/Sylvia Allen) Appropriations (Don Shooter/John Kavanagh)

14 KEY INFORMATION ON AZ LEGISLATURE WEBSITE Find Your Legislator Legislator Bios, Contact Information Committees/Floor Calendars & Schedules Requests to Speak Bill Status View Committees And much more

15 Key Calendar Deadlines 1-15 at 5:00 pm Seven bill introduction limit begins in House at 5:00 pm Deadline for Senate members to submit bill requests to LC at 5:00 pm Deadline for House members to submit bill requests to LC. 2-2 Last day for Senate bills to be introduced. 2-9 Last day for House bills to be introduced.

16 ALMOST DAILY MEDIA COVERAGE How to keep Arizona on the Rails in 2015 Hey Leaders Do this!!! AZ REPUBLIC editorial Water Future In the depths of the Great Recession, the hardest hit state agency was the Department of Water Resources. A wealth of institutional knowledge, vital to maintaining Arizona s relative position with other states in competition for precious water supplies, was lost Lawmakers need to take this critical agency more seriously. And that means with a wider-open pocketbook

17 What you should know about Arizona's water future By Sharon Megdal Director, University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center and Pima County representative on the Central Arizona Project Board of Directors January 4, 2015 The Arizona Department of Water Resources shoulders much responsibility for overseeing compliance with groundwater regulations, including requiring water conservation and assuring sufficient water supplies for new growth. Yet the department's budget was cut significantly as Arizona struggled through the last economic downturn. It's important that ADWR get the funding it needs to fulfill its many responsibilities and to work with all of us in charting our way forward

18 Study: Colorado River has $1.4 trillion economic impact on region CRONKITE NEWS ONLINE January 17, 2015 Without water from the Colorado River, Arizona's gross state product would drop by more than $185 billion in a year the state would lose more than 2 million jobs Colorado's economic impact on the six states and seven Southern California counties that draw water from the river at $1.4 trillion a year A total of 16 million jobs in the region rely on the direct, indirect and induced economic benefits that the river brings Read the Report:

19 WRAN ACTION WRAN ADWR FUNDING Protect our Water Future by telling our leaders to support the ADWR View message online.

20 WRAN OPPORTUNITIES WR Day at AZ Legislature: March 11, 2015 January-March Webinar Series: Wednesdays from noon to 1pm Next webinar: January 28 th Drew Beckwith of Western Resource Advocates discusses Common Sense Solutions to Protect the Colorado River Basin Register Here! Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WesternRiversAZ Check out our website at Sign Up for WRAN Listserv by ing

21 For More Information: Sarah Luna, WRAN Project Coordinator Steve Prager, AZ WRAN Communications