The Arizona Legislature passed a bipartisan bill Monday intended to increase the state’s housing supply while conserving water.
The bill is known as “ag-to-urban.” It allows developers to buy water rights from farmers who give up their agricultural land for homes in metro Phoenix and Pinal County.
The homes would use only a percentage of the water the farms had used.
The bill was prompted by a moratorium Hobbs set on new housing construction in the Phoenix suburbs due to low groundwater levels. This legislation would give developers a new pathway to build homes in those restricted areas.
Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) called it a win-win-win.
“Win for the farmers who are ready to retire and it's strictly voluntary, it’s a win for the Arizona families that want the American dream of homeownership. It’s a win for the aquifers,” Griffin said.
The bill, SB 1611, passed 35-20 with some bipartisan support and some bipartisan opposition. It’s the culmination of two years of negotiations between lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs - who finally reached an agreement last week.
Rep. Chris Mathis (D-Tucson) lamented the fact the legislature didn’t consider other water conservation policies like a bipartisan rural groundwater proposal that was introduced in January and never got a hearing.
“We have once again failed to provide any legislative relief this session to address the current acute water security crisis faced by our rural communities.”
The Senate still must transmit the bill to the governor.
-
No More Deaths’ aid camp is stationed in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, a few miles from the border in southern Arizona. The group said that site was raided by Border Patrol agents the Sunday before Thanksgiving. -
Members of the Scottsdale City Council have scaled back some of the proposed changes to their public comment policy, following pushback from some residents. -
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs says she won’t give in to the Trump administration’s threat to withhold SNAP funding unless states hand over data about the program’s recipients. -
After finally being sworn in following a historic seven-week delay, Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva is using her first legislative act to fulfill a campaign promise she made to tribes in Arizona and across Indian Country. -
There's nothing unconstitutional about having a state Court of Appeals deciding cases where not everyone from every county gets to vote on every judge, the Arizona Supreme Court has concluded.
