Fisheries and Delta bills moving through legislature

by Jerry Neuburger

June 4, 2009 -- While the clock slowly ticks down towards June 15th, the critical mass day when California is completely broke and no one will lend the state money, the legislature appears to be conducting business as usual.

AB 1253, a bill to review predation in the delta, including damage done by the pumping process has been amended one more time and then passed by the Assembly. The bill's funding source was amended to a vague statement that the bill would authorize the, " board to enter into funding agreements with public agencies and nongovernmental organizations to pay for the cost of the independent scientific review." The bill will now be sent to the Senate for committee assignment. CSPA endorses AB 1253 in its current form.

SB 670, the Wiggins, suction pump mining bill, has been passed by the Senate and is being sent to the Assembly for committee assignment. While the bill has the support of virtually every recreational and commercial fishing advocacy organization as well as numerous environmental organizations, it was still opposed by a small group of senators who have demonstrated their anti environmental positions on numerous votes. The opposing senators were; Aanestad, Ashburn, Cogdill, Cox, Hollingsworth, Huff, Runner, and Wyland. CSPA endorses SB 670 in its current form.

SB 458, the Delta Conservancy Bill introduced by Lois Wolk, was passed on the senate floor and is being sent to the Assembly for committee assignment.
The bill would establish a  regional panel that would have input regarding state proposals regarding the decisions to be made as to the delta's future. As expected, the same small group of senators, who seem to be anti environment and anti fisheries voted against the bill. The opposing senators were; Aanestad , Ashburn, Cox, Denham, Dutton, Hollingsworth, Huff, Strickland, Walters and Wyland. CSPA has not taken a position on SB 458.