LB 701 creates a vegetation management task force. The task force will set policy on how vegetation is managed in the Republican and Platte river basins. They will determine which plants are removed, how they are removed, and how much is paid to remove them. If you want to be one of the decision makers, you should apply for a seat on the task force.
Gov. Heineman Signs Landmark Water Legislation Into Law
(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman signed LB 701 into law today, which provides for the funding of the state’s water-related priorities and includes the creation of a Water Resources Cash Fund (WRCF).
“LB 701 will help our state make substantial progress in our goal of achieving sustainable water use throughout Nebraska,” Gov. Heineman said. “I want to applaud the work of our State Senators, in particular the leadership of Speaker Mike Flood, Senator Mark Christensen and Senator LeRoy Louden. This bill addresses both our short-term issues in the Republican River Basin and creates a framework for addressing our long-term water challenges.
Heineman to Sign Christensen Tax Increase Today, May 1
This headline came from a web site controlled by Senator Christensen's opponent in the election. Keep that in mind when you read the comments. Even so, what it says is accurate.
WaterClaim has long said that Nebraska must act to protect the State and the Basin from the consequences of a bad agreement with Kansas. The Legislature’s response was to give the NRDs a blank check that can be written on the account of the residents of the Basin. We hope this money will be spent in a way that protects the State and the Basin. We are concerned that some of the planned projects will be an ineffective use of the money. There are still some major problems with the agreement and the computer simulation that the policy makers need to consider before they make a multi-year and multi-million dollar commitment on behalf of the taxpayers.
LB 701 does not solve the problem nor does it put in place the mechanisms that will make sure Nebraska stays in compliance in the future. Unless the water allocations allowed to Nebraska increase via either increased precipitation or corrections in the computer simulation, the Republican River Basin will continue to have a water crisis that is largely political in nature.
(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman issued the following comment regarding the Legislature’s passage of LB 701. The bill provides for the funding of the state’s water-related priorities and includes the creation of a Water Resources Cash Fund.
Gov. Heineman said, “I’m pleased to see that the Legislature has passed this comprehensive water legislation and I look forward to signing this bill into law. LB 701 will help our state make substantial progress in our goal of achieving sustainable water use throughout Nebraska.
“I want to applaud the work of our State Senators. By addressing both our short-term issues in the Republican River Basin and by creating a framework addressing our long-term water challenges, this legislation will help our state move forward as we work to become better stewards of our most valuable natural resource.”
The Governor is scheduled to hold a bill signing ceremony on Tuesday, May 1.
LB 701
The Legislature voted to suspend its rules which require any bill which impacts the budget to pass after the budget bill is approved.
Speaker Flood said the reason for the immediate passage of LB 701 is to, “Inch us closer to compliance and to show good faith to Kansas.”
The Bill passed the Legislature at 10:22am Thursday April 26, 2007, on a vote of 43 for and 6 not voting.
Unless the Governor vetoes this bill it becomes law. It was passed as emergency legislation which means it takes effect immediately.
This is a word document that you can download and read. I will try to get it up in a PDF format sometime as well. It is a long write up but if you take the time to read it you will probably have a pretty good idea of what has to be done to fix the problem and what allocations for the farms will need to be to make things work. You may need to zoom in to read the graphs.
LB 701 was voted on today and passed the first step. It goes from General File to Select File. There are two more steps. These are Select File and then Final Reading. If it passes those next two steps and the Governor does not veto it, then it becomes law.
Senator Flood and Christensen said on the floor today that they expected amendments to deal with accountability, co-mingled wells, the price paid for surface water, and a clear statement of what the Legislature intends to do and to point out that the State could take the water without compensation but that it is providing or allowing compensation because it wants to help keep southwest and south central Nebraska alive.
Tuesday – The water debate began.
Mark Christensen did not vote for LB 701 to come out of committee because he felt that the things he needed to be in the bill were not in it. On Tuesday, he proposed an amendment to address his concerns. The Legislature voted to adopt his amendment 957 today. This amendment includes everything that Mark says he needs to be satisfied with the bill. Amendment 957 says that the NRDs cannot issue new bonds after the year 2023.
This is a copy of what WaterClaim has given to the Senators for their consideration.
The Natural Resources Committee killed LB594 that would have prohitied well drilling for two years.
Senator Tom Carlson introduced a bill today to manage vegetation. LB 458