Lawmakers Say Water Bond Oversight Will Be Priority

California’s dwindling water supply didn’t escape lawmakers last session. They passed emergency drought legislation, new groundwater management laws, and put a $7.5 billion water bond before voters.

But now, keeping a close eye on how all of that is implemented is their next priority. Democratic Assemblymember Marc Levine says he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with money from Proposition 1-E, the flood control bond that passed in 2006.

“We know historically there will be a flood in California. No one can imagine that right now but that will occur," says Levine. "So the fact that we have not had oversight on Prop 1 E in over seven years gave me great concern.”

Lawmakers will begin a series of oversight hearings on the water bond funding and flood control funding this week. The conference on managing drought was sponsored by the Public Policy Institute of California.