By Heather Smathers | Maricopa Monitor
About 50 people gathered in Casa Grande to hear a discussion on the impact of the drought on Pinal County farmers and the contingency plan to deal with it.
On Thursday a panel discussion explained the history of the multistate Drought Contingency Plan and how $20 million from the state would help keep Pinal farmers in business. The discussion, led by Eloy farmer Tiffany Shedd, sought to encourage those with interests in farming or ranching to call state legislators to seek the funding, which was passed by a Senate panel Tuesday.
Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, whose legislative district includes much Pinal County and who is a cattle rancher, introduced the measure to get the money to agricultural interests in Pinal. But the bill faces an uphill battle at the Capitol, where Cook said legislators from the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas don’t understand the impact to the state’s economy.
