Even though organizations concerned about the Delta, newspapers, and others were clammoring for the legislature to NOT vote yes on AB-1265 to take the Water Bond off the ballot in November, on Monday, the Legislature voted to postpone the water bond to 2012. Said Food & Water Watch’s Elanor Starmer. “In the interest of all Californians, legislators should take this opportunity to repeal the bond and start anew, not postpone it.” However, since the backers of the water bond knew it was unlikely to pass this year, rather than revise it to provide a reasonable initiative voters could approve, they chose to remove it and hope in two years everyone forgot the issues with the measure.
The Senate backed postponement from the outset, voting 27-7. I’m happy to report that our local Senator DeSaulnier joined the always pro-Delta senator Lois Wolk in voting no. The Assembly took several votes, with Jared Huffman (Chair of the Assembly on Water) arguing to keep the measure on the ballot or pull it altogether and revise it, leaving the ballot date open. It took until 9:35 p.m. for the last Assembly holdouts, Assembly Member Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) and Assembly Member Sandre Swanson (D-Alameda), to respond to pressure from legislative leadership and vote to postpone. Again, happily our own Joan Buchanan voted on the “NO” side.
Supporters to delay the Water Bond to 2012:
Association of California Water Agencies
California Building Industry Association
California Chamber of Commerce
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Municipal Utilities Association
Dublin San Ramon Services District
Eastern Municipal Water District
Friant Water Authority
Helix Water District
Kern County Water Agency
San Diego County Water Authority
WateReuse California
Western Municipal Water District
Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA) 
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