A bill to expand protections for California's wild and scenic rivers is working its way through the state legislature.
The measure approved by an Assembly committee Monday would bring state rules in line with more expansive federal laws.
Supporters say California needs to step in now in case the federal government relaxes its rules under the new administration.
Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen voted against the bill and based his position on the state's water needs.
"This impacts the amount of water that's available to all Californians for future generations," Allen said.
Democratic Assemblyman Mark Stone disagreed.
"It's a false choice to say 'water for people, water for the environment,'" Stone said, "it's just a false choice, it always had been, and we don't need to get sucked into that rhetoric."
The California Farm Bureau was the only group registering opposition, but did not list anything specific at the hearing.
The bill is now headed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
