Two members leave Governor’s Water Policy Council

Two key members of the Governor’s Water Policy Council have quit. The moves could potentially affect any chances at figuring out how to handle Arizona’s dwindling water supply.

The two members are Stefanie Smallhouse, President of the Arizona Farm Bureau, and Senator Sine Kerr (R) of Legislative District 25, the Buckeye area. Kerr is also a dairy farmer.

Smallhouse said the council is looking to regulate agricultural use in a way that would override the interests of farmers. Kerr told the Arizona Capitol Times, “The Governor’s Water Policy Council is nothing more than a forum to rubber stamp the progressive environmental goals of special interest groups.”

The resignations will not stop the work of the council, which is supposed to make recommendations for changes in state law to the legislature. Rather, it could make it difficult to get a majority of lawmakers to agree on what the remaining panel members recommend.

Travis Lingenfelter, Chairman of the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, joined Arizona Horizon to discuss more details.

“We’ve been trying for several years to get the Farm Bureau, all of the stake holders, to really craft some legislation that would allow for conservation for everyone,” Lingenfelter said. “No matter if you are in the urban or rural areas, we have to have some level of certainty in our water planning.”