Bowers warns Ducey deadline won’t be met if he doesn’t see water bill by Tuesday
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
House Speaker Rusty Bowers warned that he won’t be pressured by Gov. Doug Ducey into approving a drought contingency plan by the January 31 deadline that he and other lawmakers have yet to see.
Bowers told Capitol Media Services that the governor is making a big show of announcing on Monday – and again on Tuesday – the number of days that remain ahead of the deadline set by Brenda Burman, the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, for Arizona to adopt its plan to deal water shortage in Lake Mead.
The bottom line, Bowers said, is if he does not get actual language of the legislation by today, “I’m adding a day” to the deadline.
“It’s going to be Jan. 32nd,” he quipped, adding he’ll keep extending that deadline until he sees the legislation.
“I have an obligation, as the speaker of the House, to my membership and to our constituents,” Bower said. “We are not going to act without knowing what we do.”
And it’s not just Bowers who is balking. Senate Minority Leader David Bradley made it clear he does not intend for lawmakers to be stampeded into adopting something just to meet the January 31 deadline.
