SAN FRANCISCO — California lawmakers will have more time to reach a final agreement on a proposal for a $7.2 billion water bond after Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to have the deadline extended.
Monday had marked the deadline to get a new bond on the Nov. 4 ballot, as California's secretary of state was scheduled to begin printing voter guides.
Now, the legislature has until Wednesday to agree on a water bond to send to voters.
"[Monday's] legislative action provides additional time to get an acceptable water bond — one that's affordable and considers the needs of all Californians," Brown said in a statement. "Let's work together to get this done."
Brown is meeting Tuesday with legislative, agricultural, and environmental leaders to discuss an updated $7.2 billion water bond proposal that was introduced in the legislature on Monday.
The proposal provides funds for water use efficiency and recycling, effective groundwater management and $2.5 billion for additional storage.
"It invests in safe drinking water, particularly in disadvantaged communities, and provides for watershed restoration and increased flows in some of California's most important rivers and streams," according to a statement from the governor's office.
As the severe statewide drought has worsened, and as the electoral deadline has drawn nearer, the state legislature has been working to put together a water bond measure to replace the $11 billion bond that is currently set to go before voters in November.
That water bond has been criticized for being "pork-laden" and too expensive. Various new measures have been proposed in the legislature, but they have tended to increase in size as they try to get more legislators to buy into the plan.
Brown proposed a $6 billion water bond last week, saying smaller is better. Previous other proposals have ranged in size from $5 billion to $10 billion.
Monday's updated proposal is larger than Brown's $6 billion bond, but contains less money for surface storage than the $3 billion sum that some legislators have supported.
A two-thirds vote by the legislature and approval from the governor is required to place the package on the ballot this fall.
As state water bond negotiations made progress Monday, a proposal for a multi-billion dollar school bond hit a road block as Brown's administration announced its official opposition to the bond, also proposed for the November ballot.
The Department of Finance said it opposed the measure, which had not yet been given an exact amount, for several reasons, including concerns about the appropriate role for the state in supporting education programs, as well as concerns of taking on more debt.
"It creates new general fund costs when the Administration is focused on paying down existing obligations and saving for a rainy day," the Department said in its bill analysis. "Finance estimates that, in 2014-15, the state will pay $3 billion in debt service for general obligation bonds issued for K-12 and higher education projects. A new bond would add to those costs, crowding out other state priorities."
