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AZ Republicans and Democrats haven't been meeting to make a deal on rural groundwater protection

Woman in sunglasses and white shirt at podium
Marnie Jordan/Cronkite News
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

Three and a half months that were supposed to be filled with bipartisan negotiation on rural groundwater management have not yielded a deal between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. They haven’t really been meeting.

When the last legislative session ended, Hobbs said she’d meet with Republicans and floated the possibility of calling lawmakers into a special session to tackle the issue.

Despite Hobbs later saying that productive meetings have been happening, there was only one — and according to those present — it didn’t go well.

State Rep. Tim Dunn (R-Yuma) is one of three Republican lawmakers who reached out to Hobbs last month asking for more communication.

“On June 11, 2024, Republicans delivered an updated real groundwater management framework to the Executive and Legislative Democrats that included several of your requested concessions. Today marks the 100th day without a response to our proposal,” the letter said.

It goes on to note that Hobbs, Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-Tucson) and Rep. Chris Mathis (D-Tucson) have all stated publicly that they’re committed to “continued discussion” with Republicans.

But, the Republicans say, there have been “no continued discussions” apart from the single meeting on Aug. 29.

The governor didn’t mince words in her response on Sept. 26, accusing the Republicans of not making themselves available and of stymying efforts to compromise.

“It was reiterated [at the August 29 meeting] that Governor Hobbs would call a special session if a bipartisan compromise was reached. During our conversation, Representative Griffin again repeated … that there was not a willingness to hold a special session. This effectively shut down any hope of a legislative solution by year’s end,” Hobbs, Sundareshan and Mathis stated in a joint letter.

What’s the problem?

Arizona’s groundwater supply is not really subject to protection in rural areas.

In Arizona’s denser urban areas, groundwater is protected in officially designated active management areas.

Both Republicans and Democrats agree that the state should develop a rural version of AMAs to protect basins like Gila Bend and Willcox where water is being pumped out rapidly, but the parties can’t seem to agree on the details of a plan.

“We are historically closer together than we’ve ever been. The problem is some people want to have it all or nothing,” Dunn said.

Both parties put out bills in last year's legislative session with their version of what rural groundwater management areas should look like, but they killed one another’s proposals.

What's happened since

The session ended June 15.

“We continue to have meetings this week, and those will continue as long as it takes. I think everybody is committed to staying at the table and, you know, we just weren't at a point at the end of session to get where we need to be to have the reform we need, but I think everyone’s committed,” Hobbs said regarding rural groundwater management conversations with Republicans on June 27.

“We are still sitting down at the table and continuing to hammer away, I am still extremely optimistic and I can't answer questions about whether it will be a special session or not, but things are moving forward,” Hobbs said of rural groundwater management discussions on Aug. 7.

“We’re staying at the table, and we’re getting those bigger solutions across the finish line, and I’m incredibly optimistic that we can do that,” Hobbs said of rural groundwater management discussions at a Valley Partnership event on Aug. 23.

According to a list provided by Hobbs’ spokesperson Christian Slater, during the legislative session, legislative Democrats, Republicans, staff, and representatives of the Arizona Department of Water Resources met 14 times. That’s in addition to four other meetings on groundwater with different permutations of lawmakers and staff.

But the list shows a drop-off after the session ended.

Apart from the Aug. 29 meeting, the only discussions were two phone calls; one between the governor’s staff and Griffin, and one between the governor’s staff and Dunn.

Water in tarp with dirt
Chelsey Heath/KJZZ
Water storage on an Arizona farm in 2024.

The Willcox basin case study

Following the Aug. 29 meeting, Hobbs visited the Willcox basin in southern Arizona, where groundwater levels are dangerously low. That visit is an indication that if lawmakers won’t come to the table, she'll take matters into her own hands.

Last week, ADWR held a meeting on the Willcox basin, emphasizing the severity of the situation and discussing management options to the tune of an AMA.

The idea of the executive branch going over the heads of Republican lawmakers and unilaterally establishing an AMA around one of Arizona’s rural basins is anathema to Republicans like Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), Sen. Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye) and Dunn, who represent rural Arizona and the agriculture industry.

But it exists as a nuclear option for Hobbs by way of ADWR.

There were similar indications about Hobbs and ADWR taking executive action regarding the Gila Bend basin a few months ago — generating outrage from Kerr and Republicans.

Hobbs’ Willcox trip — and her comments regarding Republicans — was the catalyst for the Republicans’ letter, according to Dunn.

“We’re waiting. That was the reason for the letter, is you can’t keep bashing us in public and say we’re not doing anything and yet not come back and say, ‘here’s some ideas,’” Dunn said.

“[Hobbs] called for real action through the legislature, securing groundwater and also highlighted that there are tools at the state government’s disposal too, and that she’s going to take action to secure our water future,” Slater said.

Camryn Sanchez is a field correspondent at KJZZ covering everything to do with state politics.