Sacramento, CA – After Governor Brown signed the bills establishing groundwater management across California, Assemblymember Anthony Rendon hailed the work of the legislators and the Governor who led the public debate that made this landmark legislation possible.
Rendon emphasized the importance of transparency: “The Governor and the Legislature working together, in an open and transparent process, is what makes important but controversial legislation succeed. Public debate works. The Legislature has worked on groundwater management bills for the last decade, and the Brown Administration proposed it back in the 70’s. But, this year, the Governor, Senator Pavley, and Assemblymember Dickinson collaborated to bring everyone – including opponents – to the table for public debate and discussion. They organized 14 public meetings and supported many other public discussions, through the California Water Foundation and the Association of California Water Agencies. That transparency made the difference.”
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act sets statewide standards but relies on local communities to craft and implement groundwater sustainability plans that address their basin’s needs. The basins that currently suffer from critical overpumping do their plans first. If no plan develops, or if the plan is insufficient, the State Water Resources Control Board may require improvements or adopt an interim groundwater management plan until the locals can step back in.
In March, Rendon convened the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee to hear from experts and practitioners about the serious depletion of California’s groundwater reserves. He and his staff then worked closely with Dickinson and Pavley on pushing the bills all the way through the Legislature, to the Governor’s Desk.
Assemblymember Rendon chairs the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. Rendon was elected to the Legislature in November of 2012 to represent the 63rd Assembly District, which covers the cities and communities of Bell, Cudahy, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, North Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, and South Gate.